


A Swan To Remember

by Wolfhound159



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Captain Swan won't last long, Cora does what Cora always does, Cora's an ass, Emma's an ass, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Honestly who isn't a jerk, Hook is here but more to be an ass, I promise, Not Beta Read, Slow Burn, Swan Queen is End Game, Teen Angst, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-04 02:41:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17296199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfhound159/pseuds/Wolfhound159
Summary: She looked back at Emma, sizing her up before her eyes landed on green. Her face was a perfect picture of seriousness. “You have to promise not to fall in love with me.”Emma scoffed, her eyebrow raising in disbelief. She rolled her eyes, “No problem.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Or as in, A Walk To Remember, Swan Queen edition.Rebellious Emma Swan is on her last hope of not being expelled on her senior year of high school. After an accident almost killed her friend, she has to serve community service with the help of isolated Regina Mills. She promised not to fall in love with her, something Emma thought was the most absurd idea ever, but as they work together, can Emma keep her promise? What challenges will these two face?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first OUAT fanfic that I write and I am nervous, lol. I have no clue as to how this idea popped into my head, but once it did, I couldn't shake it off. Hopefully I don't mess it up as I go along, lol, but I hope to do something good with this story. I'd love to hear your comments on this, please let me know what you think, and if I should continue with this idea. Unfortunately for the first chapter, Regina isn't in it as it is setting the scene, but she should be appearing within the next chapter. It isn't Beta Read, so sorry if it sounds or reads weird or off in certain areas, I'm literally writing this and posting it at like 3am, so I'm sleep deprived. I'd also appreciate if you'd let me know if any of these characters sound out of character, so I can take down the chapter and fix it.
> 
> Apart from that, sorry for the mess, and I hope you enjoy :)

 

It was almost midnight in Storybrooke, Maine, and the small town was sleeping peacefully into the night. Everyone that is, except a group of teenagers who were loitering in the parking lot of a small lake. Ruby, Dorothy, August, and Killian were standing around the entrance of a fenced off incomplete construction of a water plant. They were all waiting on a certain blonde, the leader of their small group of misfits.

 

“Where is she?” Dorothy whined, resting her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. She let Ruby wrap her arms around her stomach, pulling her towards her.

 

“Relax, Dorothy,” She murmured, her black and red hair spilling out of her red hoodie, “Emma will show up. She just has to escape the Noles.”

 

“She’s late.”  Killian groaned in annoyance, sitting on the trunk of his dingy car. “She was supposed to bring the rum.”

 

Dorothy rolled her blue eyes, peering at him in the darkness, “Who invited you here, again?”

 

He smirked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the two brunettes, “You gals couldn’t even think to enter here without my help. My father owns the docks.”

 

August rolled his eyes, getting off of his motorcycle with a huff, “Shut _up_ , Jones, you’ve bragged about it for _years_. No one cares.”

 

Killian growled in annoyance, flipping him off, “Butt out of it, puppet, I wasn’t talking to you.”

 

August narrowed his eyes, glowering at him, taking in his black pleather jacket and jeans, the way his black gelled hair fell over his eyes in an attempt to hide yet another black eye. He opened his mouth to let out a retort, when the roar of a car engine approached. A vintage yellow bug pulled into the space where they waited. Emma stepped out, a victorious smirk on her face, her blonde curly hair pulled back into a ponytail and her black rimmed glasses adoring her face. She wore a bright red leather jacket and black shorts.

 

“Missed me, bitches?” She chuckled, pulling out a full bottle of rum.

 

“You’re late,” Killian moped again, pulling her in by her waist and kissing her.

 

Emma hummed into the kiss, before pushing him away with the bottle, “I had to make sure Mom and Dad were sleeping before I snuck out. It’s date night.”

 

Ruby chuckled, going over and giving her a hug, “Well, at least you’re here. We can finally kick off our senior year with a splash!”

 

August crossed his arms, “Do we have to do this?”

 

Dorothy smirked, wrapping her arm around August's shoulders, leading him forwards, “It’s tradition! Who are we to break tradition?”

 

Emma nodded to the fence, “We doing this or what?”

 

Killian smirked, taking a swig of the bottle before unlocking the fence and leading the group inside. They walked over to the construction, taking turns gulping down the bottle. Once they all climbed the rinky stairs, they were 12 feet into the air, overlooking the lake below them. August was looking down with a frown, his teeth worrying his bottom lip.

 

“C’mon, August!” Emma stood beside him, shrugging off her jacket and pulling her t-shirt over her head to reveal a bikini top. “You gotta jump if you want to join us.”

 

August looked at her questioningly, before turning his gaze back down to the waters below. He weighed his options, looking between the group and the waters below before he took a deep breath and lept. He disappeared into the dark waters with a splash that echoed through the stillness of the night, Ruby and Dorothy whooping as Killian drunk almost half of the bottle. Emma watched the waters with a smile, one that slowly faded the more August refused to surface. She looked back at the group, her brow furrowed in worry. She tossed her glasses to Ruby, who caught it on reflex, before she turned and dove over the edge.

 

“Emma!” Ruby called out, running to the edge to watch her friend disappear with a splash into the rippling waters.

 

Emma dove into the lake with a deep inhale, swimming as quickly as she could until she felt the boy beneath her fingertips. She wrapped an arm around his torso and pulled him up to break the surface with a desperate gasp of air. Struggling to swim with August acting as dead weight, she finally managed to drag him towards the edge, where Dorothy and Ruby were waiting. The girls struggled to pull him out of the water, panting with the effort of lifting him up and out of the water. When they finally managed to drag him a couple steps away from the lake, the loud shrill of a police siren echoed through the night, the lights flashing warningly. With a panicked look, Dorothy and Ruby hightailed it out of there, running the opposite way of where they had parked. Emma looked up at the construction, trying to spot her boyfriend, but found that he had abandoned her there as well. Emma pulled herself up and out, debating whether to leave August or not.

 

“Fuck,” She hissed, her heart pounded in her chest as she paced back and forth. She ran her hands through her dripping hair, her body shaking violently with the coldness of the water and the air, and she was panting. She kneeled down by August, making sure he was breathing, eyeing the huge gash on his forehead that was bleeding heavily, and the already darkening broken arm at his side. She heard footsteps approaching, but she focused on the boy beneath her.

 

“Police!” A voice ran out, the light of the flashlight striking her face, blinding her from the person behind it. She didn't need to see who it was, she recognized the voice. She cursed underneath her breath, bringing up her hand to squint at the harsh light. "Emma?"

 

Emma half-smiled, swallowing past a lump that formed in her throat, her heart pounding so fast she figured it would shut itself off, "Hi Dad."

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you guys for the kudos and the comments! I'm going to do my best to continue writing this as much as I can. The chapters will be growing in length and word count as they continue because I have no sense of spacing myself, so I try to end on a good moment. As always, let me know what you guys think, and if I make a mistake, either grammar or character wise, please don't hesitate to let me know and I'll fix it ASAP.

Emma squirmed in the scratchy chair, looking at the Principal with a practiced mask of uninterest. She took in his short grey hair, traces of his once brown hair still evident in the darkness of the tips and certain strands. His eyes looked almost amber in the morning light, but they darkened to a brown as his eyes narrowed in challenge. He folded his hands in front of him, placing them softly on the dark brown desk. The ruffling of the curtains and the faint chatter of students and birds the only sounds that surrounded them.

 

“Miss Nolan,” He sneered, his chin lifting regally, as if she was nothing more than a bug to a king.

 

“Swan,” Emma corrected, narrowing her eyes in a glare.

 

The corner of his lip curled in a sneer, his head tilting just a fraction at the blatant insubordination.

 

“Miss Swan,” He started again, “Seems to me you’ve reached the end of your rope.”

 

She raised a brow in challenge, “The end of my rope?”

 

“Surely drinking underage while trespassing on private property has eluded your mind.” He watched her slightly squirm underneath his stare but she refused to look away, “Not to mention the fact that your little friend, Mr Booth, is in the hospital under a coma with a broken arm and leg.”

 

Emma finally looked down at her hands in her lap. In the light of the morning, she could see the cuts on her hands from when her hands skimmed through the sharp rocks in search of a body under the lake. They zigged through her skin, some deeper than others, red and inflamed.

 

“Who else was with you last night?”

 

Emma snapped her eyes up at him, her jaw clenching tightly in her mouth.

 

“Surely you don’t expect me to believe that you and August were the only two people who drank half a bottle of rum and 15 beers, from the bottles that we found.”

 

“We were alone.” She spoke tersely, swallowing a lump forming at her throat. Her tone gave nothing away.

 

“Ah,” He nodded softly, letting the silence build between them. He waited, hoping for her to give in and tell the truth.

 

She furrowed her brows, looking around with her eyes fogged over, her mind replaying the feeling of the cold water splashing around her, plunging her into darkness. Her heart pounding fiercely in her chest, dread pooling in the pit of her stomach. Principal Gold sighed heavily, starling the girl once more, bringing her eyes back to his.

 

“Emma,” He tried, “This is your fifth offense. This type of behavior demands expulsion and jail time. You won’t be able to graduate this year or any year. Is that what you really want? To watch your friends move on with their lives while you stay behind because of a dangerous and edgy new craze?”

 

Emma looks down to her hands, taking a deep breath as she prepared herself for the worst. She could just imagine Mary Margaret’s disappointed face, pursed as if she had just eaten a sour lemon. David would be silent and tense.

 

“I’ll make you a deal,” Principal Gold looked down at her file on his desk, flipping it open to skim through the papers, to avoid her questioning gaze, “I’m giving you the chance to prove something of yourself. Turn it around. Maybe graduate.”

 

He finally looked up, lips curling into a pleased smirk at the glimmer of hope in her eyes.

 

“You’ll have to serve some community service for your crimes.”

 

“Community service?” Emma furrowed her brow, searching his eyes for answers.

 

“I’d like you to help the janitorial staff after school, they could always use another pair of hands. There’s a school play that Ms. Nolan is preparing, and she is severely lacking in participants. Rehearsals are Tuesday and Thursday evenings. There’s also the matter of some Saturday detention.” With each word his smile grew as she continued to squirm, uncomfortable with the developments. He watched her brace herself with his pause. “What better way to serve detention than to help volunteer at the Horse Rescue Ranch. We have several students who are already members, and a bus leaves here at precisely 7am and arrives at 5.”

 

Emma scoffed, looking at him as if he suddenly grew two more heads, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

 

He sighed, raking a hand through his hair, “Miss Swan, the only other option is expulsion. I’m afraid you have no other choice.”

 

“Why?”

 

He blinked at her, seeing the curiosity in her green eyes, “Why what?”

 

“Why are you helping me?”

 

He smirked, “Let’s just say, I’m invested in your future.”

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma Swan held the broom, her grip tight, her knuckles going white. She swept it in a fanning motion, left to right, taking strides into the large science room. There were tables set up, each one having all kinds of fruits and poster boards settled precariously on them. Emma eyed the group at the far right, the history and science club liked to join together and host small parties, each a different theme from a point in time. This month’s theme was the Salem Witch Trials. Emma rolled her eyes as she swept yet another strand of hay into the waiting dustpan.

 

She looked back at the group, taking in the faces and people standing around. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of the brunette. Her black raven hair was braided loosely, her uniform was crisp, white shirt and khaki pants, light blue sweater resting comfortingly over her shoulders and her arms. Her eyes sparkled with mirth as she captured the attention of everyone in the group, turning to look at her presentation on witches.  _ Regina Mills _ , Emma sighed.

 

Regina was the daughter of the hardass mayor Cora Mills, or as Emma and her entourage called her, “Queen of Hearts”. She was sour and shrill, her piercing brown eyes able to strike fear with just a glance. Emma and the others could swear on their graves that her sharp talons could reach over and rip their hearts out if they ever crossed her path. Although Regina didn’t have the hush of respect that her mother’s name brings, she did have the quiet intimidation, the sharp wit, and the scowl that could set fire to your skin and burn you from the inside out. That’s why they called her “the Evil Queen”, although Emma always grimaced whenever she had to call her that. Emma saw Regina as stuck up and a bit prissy, but she never saw her as evil. Her mother on the other hand, well, that was a different story.

 

“Although there’s a common misconception about witches burning to death,” Regina spoke, smiling at the group. Emma felt her heart thunder in her chest as her voice floated to her, “Almost all of the deaths during Salem were hanging. With the exception of Giles Corey who was pressed to death by large stones.”

 

Emma turned back to sweeping, keeping her ear trained to the group, listening for more of the brunette, a soft smile ghosting her lips.

 

“Who can guess the Salem trials originally started?” Regina smirked, looking at the group.

 

A redheaded boy with round glasses, Archie, spoke up, speaking through his stutter. “It. It sta. It start. It sta. It started in. Sa. Sal. S. Salem?”

 

Regina smiled warmly but shook her head no. At that most of the group were frowning in thought.

 

“It started in Danvers,” Emma muttered, low enough that she believed it wouldn’t be caught.

 

“Yes,” Regina surprised her, shooting her a smile when Emma looked at her. Their eyes connected and Emma could feel the soft warmth in Regina’s eyes before she looked back at the group. “It started in Salem Village, known as Danvers.”

 

Emma tried to continue listening, but her brain stopped registering voices, only the warmth rolling through her skin and the fast pounding of her heart in her ears. She startled when she felt arms wrapping around her shoulders and looked to see Ruby hugging her in a squeal, almost toppling her over her broom.

 

“Hey loser!” The brunette spoke up, stepping away, her hands pulling down the red hood from over her head.

 

“Hey, Rubes,” Emma smiled, smacking the bouncing girl’s arm with a loud  _ SWACK! _

 

“Ow!” She rubbed her arm, sticking her tongue out at the blonde, “Mean!”

 

“You jerks left me to take the heat. You deserved it.”

 

Ruby looked down apologetic, rubbing the back of her head, “I know, I screwed up.”

 

“Yeah, you did.”

 

“But,” Ruby looked up at Emma, a slight hope in her eyes, as she pulled out her friend’s glasses with a pout, “I hope you can forgive me.”

 

Emma sighed, looking at her friend, “Maybe.”

 

Ruby bounced, watching as Emma put her glasses back on with a proud smile. She looked around, taking in the room and chuckling softly when she noticed Regina speaking about witches.

 

“ In Western magic, ‘sigils’ are symbols connected to a set of ideas by which spirits or deities may be summoned to awareness and controlled.” Regina spoke, tracing a list of symbols on a whiteboard and writing down what they represent.

 

“So,” Ruby raised her hand but spoke without waiting for the attention, “If I drew a symbol, I could control whoever I choose?”

 

“It doesn’t really work that way precisely,” Regina shot a glare at Ruby, “It-”

 

“If I drew your ass on an apple, I could control you?” Ruby interrupted, smirking as she noticed a slight rose rising to Regina’s cheeks.

 

“I’m flattered you think I’m a Goddess, Miss Lucas, but the sigil doesn’t call the spirit, it’s more of a state of mind.” Regina raised an eyebrow, keeping her face trained in a perfect mask of composure.

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Mary Margaret watches Emma as she moves around the table, setting the plates. She briefly looks out the window, taking a shaky breath.

 

“Your father’s working late tonight.”

 

Emma freezes, her back towards Mary Margaret. She focuses on the plates in her hand, her mind swirling with unspoken words that she couldn’t bring herself to say.

 

“Oh,” Was all she could figure as she collected David’s place set.

 

“Emma,” Mary Margaret started, taking a tentative step towards her daughter. “What happened to you?”

 

Emma frowned, turning to look at her, examining her white blouse and high waist knee-length spotted skirt, her pixie cut hair.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You weren’t like this before, Emma. We’re worried.”

 

Emma scoffed, “I wasn’t like this before what? Before you made the mistake to adopt me?”

 

“Emma-”

 

“No, forget it.” Emma started to walk away when Mary Margaret grabbed her wrist and pulled her back gently to stop her.

 

“Emma please.”

 

Emma glared at her, her eyes wavering, “Let go of me.”

 

Mary Margaret gasped at the ferocity in Emma’s eyes. She took a step back, letting Emma go, watching her walk to her room.

  
  


xXxXxXx

  
  


Emma walked up to the stables hesitantly. In the distance she saw Regina gently brushing a tall chocolate brown colt, feeding it an apple every so often. Her hair was tied back in a loose braid, a light blue riding jacket glittering in the early sun.

 

Emma hesitantly walked up to the scrawny black mare she was assigned to. The mare huffed, lifting her hooves before stomping it down in front of her. Her heart pounded in her ears as she took a step back from the horse.

 

“Her name is Athena.” A raspy voice that was all too familiar washed over from behind Emma. She spun around, seeing Regina standing in front of her with a smirk on her face.

 

“What?”

 

Regina nodded to the dark horse still clomping and huffing, “Her name.”

 

Emma nodded, glancing over her shoulder to follow Regina’s sight, before turning her green eyes back to her. “What’s her deal?”

 

Regina’s eyes snapped back to Emma’s, her brows furrowed and her lips slightly pursed, “I’m sorry?”

 

“Is she always aggressive?”

 

“She’s not aggressive, Ms Swan,” Regina smirked at her, “She’s scared. Why don’t you try introducing yourself to her before you stomp close to her?”

 

Emma gave her a dubious look, “That’s ridiculous. It’s a horse. It can’t understand us.”

 

Regina smiled softly, her eyes warming underneath Emma’s glare, “I find they tend to surprise you.”

 

Emma watched Regina walk back to her horse, saddling him up before riding her horse off into the field. She turned back to Athena and took a deep breath. Athena whined, nodding her head. She took a carrot off of the table and took a few hesitant steps forward, holding the carrot like a medieval knight would wield a sword. Emma only managed to get a few steps closer before Athena stood on her hind legs, letting out a loud shout and stomping down. The blonde threw the carrot, stumbling back and falling on her butt, her heart racing so fast she thought it might break. She could feel her face getting hotter as she tried to catch her breath.

 

Emma was directed to raking hay for the rest of the day, the pitchfork felt cool in her hot and sweaty hands. She buried herself in the manual labor, stealing glances to a certain infuriating brunette as she galloped through the open field.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma shuffled onto the yellow bus late, having had to talk with the director of the facility for agitating Athena.  _ As if I was the one who almost gave her a heart attack instead of the other way. _ Emma sighed, looking over all the filled seats, grimacing when she saw the only free seat was next to Regina. She debated whether or not standing for the whole ride, before a glare from the driver had her sitting down beside her.

 

“Hello,” Regina smiled at her, looking up from her book.

 

Emma pulled out her phone, before putting her headphones on.

 

Regina sighed, turning back to her book. “Are you going to visit Marco?”

 

Emma huffed, pulling out a earbud and glaring at her seatmate. “Who?”

 

“Marco, August’s father. He’s distraught. When he found out his only son is in a coma, he had a heart attack. He almost died.”

 

“Is this your idea of small talk?” Emma growled, ripping out the other earbud aggressively from her ear.

 

“I don’t do small talk.” Regina glanced up at her, giving Emma a pointed look, an eyebrow raised as she fluttered her gaze down and up Emma’s body, landing on her eyes with a self satisfied smirk.

 

“Clearly.” Emma sighed, shoving an earbud back in her ear, looking towards the front.

 

“Athena can be pretty temperamental, but that’s only because when we found her, she was chained to a tiny cramped stable. She could barely move, let alone breathe. She was so malnourished, she was inches away from death. Her hair fell to clumps from never being brushed. She doesn’t trust easily. She’s still recovering, she has to gain a bit more weight before we can move onto riding. You have to be gentle, Ms Swan, but I believe once you get her trust, she won’t let you down.” Regina looked at Emma, watching for any reaction, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed in a frown before she turned her gaze back to her book. “What makes you volunteer?”

 

Emma took a deep breath and let out a long suffering sigh, pointedly raising the volume of her music.

 

Regina rolled her eyes, “Want to know why I help with the horses?”

 

Emma turned her head dramatically towards Regina, looking her over her, before looking into her chocolate eyes, “Not really.”

 

“Because, growing up, horses were my world.”

 

Emma bit back, a harsh tone dripping in her voice, “Were?”

 

“You don’t know me.”

 

“Your books, you’re always wearing something blue, your mother. What’s more to know?”

 

“I wear blue because I like the color. I read because no one talks to me. My mother is my mother. What is it exactly that’s bothering you?”

 

“You don’t care what people say?”

 

“You mean what  _ you _ say?” Regina scoffed, rolling her eyes, “I’m worrying about other things.”

 

“Like what?” Emma smirked, leaning into her, “Witches?”

 

“Can’t you have a normal conversation?”

 

“I don’t want to have _ any _ conversation.”

 

Regina let out a long exhale, shifting in her seat, leaning deeper into the back and going back to her book. She stays quiet for the rest of the ride. As the bus pulls up on the campus, she remains seated while everyone else shuffles off. She watches Emma walk towards Killian, who’s leaning back against his car. He wraps her up in a hug, kissing her. Regina sighs, rolling her eyes as Killian leads Emma into her car. The brunette gets up and walks the other way, holding her book close to her chest protectively as she breathes in, letting the setting sun illuminate her path home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy! two chapters back to back? What's going on?!?!?!
> 
> Seriously though, I tend to go on and off from writer's block and trash of mental illness. I will try to update a chapter at least once a week. Sometimes more if I have time, but hopefully once a week.
> 
> Please don't be afraid to let me know of any grammar mistakes I do. I'd love to hear what you guys think of the story :)

Emma strolled into the classroom, written on the whiteboard in black cursive was “Drama Club”. Her eyes scanned over the students sitting around. She sees a couple of people she tried to ignore since she came to Storybrooke, among them, Regina. The blonde took a step back, as if she was slapped, before shaking herself out of it and looking to the teacher who sat in the center of the circle.

 

Ms. Kathryn Nolan was a tall blonde with warm blue-green eyes. She had her hair pulled back into a loose bun, a white shirt with a blue jacket and jeans. She smiled at Emma, white teeth poking out of pink lips.

 

“Emma!” She motioned to the chairs, “Have a seat.”

 

Emma took a deep breath before sitting beside Archie, directly across from Regina, who was sitting next to Ms. Nolan. Emma leaned into Archie, tapping him on his shoulder to get his attention.

 

“What’s the play?” Emma swept her eyes over the redheaded boy with the circle spectacles and freckles covering his nose and face. He handed her a photocopied script, smiling shyly.

 

“There’s this. There’s. There’s. There. There’s this. Drough. There’s. There’s this. Drough. Drought. An. And. And. A smooth. A smooth. Talk. Tall. Talk. Talk. Talking. Girl. Come. Come. Comes and. And. Sa. Say. Say. Says Sh. Sh. She. Can. Comes And. Comes. Comes and says. Says she can. Make. Make. Make. Rain.” Archie stutters, his brow furrowed as he forces the words out, looking at Emma determined to get the message across.

 

“And the ugly farmer’s daughter falls for her.” Emma interrupted him, letting him take a break. “I saw the movie.”

 

Archie smiles wide, searching her eyes. “Y. Ye. Yeah. It. It. It’s. It’s Rea. Really. Good.”

 

Emma sighed, looking back towards Ms. Nolan, her eyes flickering over between the teacher and Regina, observing their soft conversation, “It sucked.”

 

Minutes later, Emma and Regina are going over lines, reading over their respective scripts. Ms. Nolan watches with interest, examining their posture and their reactions.

 

“I hope your dreams come true.” Emma rolls her eyes, reading as stiff and wooden as she can.

 

Regina smiles sadly, her eyes glistening over as she gets into her character, “They won’t.”

 

“Believe in yourself and they will. Let me ask you Lizzie. Look in the mirror? Are you pretty-?”

 

“Emma,” Ms. Nolan interrupts with a sigh, “Are you trying to be bad at this?”

 

“Nope,” Emma smirks as she looks up at the teacher, “Just comes naturally.”

 

Regina looks down to her script, struggling to hold in a grin. Emma’s smirk grows into a satisfied smile before she looks down at her script.

 

Kathryn sighs, “Continue.”

 

Emma clears her throat and continues her stilted performance, “It’s got to be inside you. Then one day the mirror will be the eyes of the woman who loves you. You’ll look in that mirror and you’ll be more than pretty. You’ll be beautiful.”

 

Emma looks up at Kathryn who motions for her to continue, a frown etched into the teacher’s face.

 

“Look at me,” Emma shifts in her chair, “Tell me what you see.”

 

Regina look at Emma, searching her eyes gently, almost pleadingly. Regina tilts her head slightly, chewing on her bottom lip for a second as she bides her time to water her eyes for the performance. “Is it really me?”

 

Emma smirks, putting on a horrendous accent as she leans towards Regina. “Yes. You’re-You’re B-B-Beautiful.”

 

The group of students start to snicker to themselves. Regina rolls her eyes, turning away shifting in her chair. Her teeth claim her bottom lip once more, her hair falling over her face as her cheeks start to burn up. She pushes away the stinging in her eyes as she blinks and focuses on the script in her hands.

 

“Quiet.” Kathryn huffs, closing her script with a snap, a hush spreading among the group. “Emma will play the role of Billie Starbuck.”

 

Half of the group groans in annoyance. Regina looks up at Kathryn, her mouth open in shock and her eyes pleading. Emma searches Ms. Nolan’s face, looking for any chance of a joke or a lie.

 

“No way,” Emma started, shifting up from her slouch on her chair, “No thanks. I can’t do it-”

 

“You can and you will, Emma.” Ms. Nolan has already got up and was starting to fix the room. She turned to Emma, her eyes narrowed and staring at her challengingly. “With _all_ the sincerity and integrity you can muster.”

  


xXxXxXx

 

It’s raining when Emma steps out of the building of the high school. She walks over to a small little overhead roof where it’s sheltered from the rain and leans against the wall, searching the parking lot, waiting for someone to pull up and pick her up. Regina hesitates as she walks up to the blonde, her eyes are downcast, her shoulders tense as she gathers what she wants to say.

 

Emma sighs, glaring at her from the side, “You’re like this fly, buzzing,” She starts, her face cringing as she looks her over, “Buzzing everywhere-”

 

“This play means a lot to me,” Regina interrupted, looking up at her, her chocolate eyes staring determinedly into green.

 

Emma snorted, her mouth turning into a cruel half smirk, “This play-?”

 

“I know you don’t suck at acting.” Regina let herself lean against the wall as well, a couple of steps away from Emma. Emma rolled her eyes, laughing dryly to herself, turning back to look at the parking lot as the lights of the school turn off. “But you have to make this big joke because only dorks and dweebs like doing theatre-”

 

“What are you talking about?” Emma snapped, but her voice didn’t have the same viciousness as before. Regina smiled at the small victory.

 

“I can judge too.” At Emma’s challenging look, Regina’s smile grew into a smirk, “You don’t care about classes or graduating. But you like school because here you feel like you belong. And you’re too scared to feel like a stranger, like you’re not wanted anymore.”

 

Emma smirked, her voice taking a mocking tone as she bit out, “That’s deep.”

 

Regina rolled her eyes, turning her gaze to search the parking lot, “Your act only works on an audience.”

 

“My act?”

 

Regina walked away towards her mercedes, the last car in the parking lot. Emma’s ears perk up at the sounds of a fire truck racing by, fading away. She takes a deep breath, looking around once more. There’s no one. No ride. No way home. She sees Regina pulling out of her parking spot. Emma sighs, walking closer to the car, knocking hesitantly on the window. Regina looks her up and down, smirking as the blonde is getting drenched, before she rolls down the window a sliver.

 

“Could I get a ride?” Emma starts, biting on her lower lip as she looks pleadingly at Regina. “Please?”

 

“What about your car?” Regina pulled a face of disgust from thinking about the blonde’s beat-up yellow VW beetle.

 

“It got confiscated.” Emma shrugged helplessly.

 

Regina smirks, rolling her eyes about to roll the window back up when Emma’s fingers slide between the glass towards her, stopping her.

 

“I’ll let you help me with my lines.”

 

Regina huffed, looking at the blonde before letting her in. Emma slides into the passenger’s seat, smiling wide. Regina drives them away from the school, her car is silent, the only noise is the rumble of the air conditioner blowing and the sound of the blinker click. Emma trembles in her seat, turning off her side of the a/c, but it doesn’t help as her wet clothes cling to her skin.

 

“I know you don’t want help,” Regina starts, turning on the heat for the blonde, smiling softly.

 

“Then we both know.” Emma looks around, searching for something. “I’ll point. You drive. Faster.”

 

Regina arched a brow, looking at her as she hid a smirk. She rolled her eyes when she noticed the blonde pointing at the taillights of the fire trucks. “We’re following fire trucks?”

 

Emma let a half smile flutter over her lips, shifting up in her chair as she leaned forward to see more of the trucks, “Yeah.”

 

“Why?” Regina let her car pick up speed.

 

“Because that’s where the fire is?” Emma reeled back, her face scrunching as she turned to look at the brunette driving, her eyebrows raised before she turned back to watch the trucks, “Fire is like a living thing. Wild. Unpredictable.”

 

“Like me.” Regina smirked.

 

Emma scoffed, “No. Not like you.”

 

Regina raised an eyebrow in challenge. She jerks the car over the yellow line, driving the wrong way. Emma’s eyes widen as she looks from the brunette to the road and back. Her hands grip the dashboard and the seat tightly, her knuckles turning white with the effort.

 

“Regina?!” Emma pushes herself flush against the back of her seat, her heart pounding in her ears as she spots another car slowly but surely approaching them head on. “REGINA, WHAT THE-?!”

 

“So,” Regina smirks, flooring the pedal to go faster, “You agree you need help?”

 

“YES!” Emma shouts, her hand flying up to the handle over the window, “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, REGINA-!”

 

Regina grins, swinging her car back over the yellow line to the right lane, just as the other car races past, honking furiously. “Really?”

 

“Yeah.” Emma sighs, letting her head fall back as she pants to try to get her heart back to normal. “Gold is going to make me leave school if I screw up the play.”

 

Regina chuckles softly to herself, shaking her hands out of the tension she held as she drove on the opposite lane. “28 and 42.”

 

Emma was sure she was trying to whisper, but in the quiet car, she heard. She debated whether to ignore it, but she’s curious. She looked over Regina, examining her face. “What’s with the numbers?”

 

Regina’s smile faded into a serious mask. The only hint of amusement in the spark of her eyes as she looks forward. “28 is do something illegal. 42 is befriend an enemy.”

 

Emma huffed, a smirk playing on her lips, “I’m an enemy?”

 

Regina tilts her head, her brow furrowing as her teeth claim her bottom lip. She steals a glance towards the blonde. “Kinda. Yeah.”

 

Arriving at the scene, Regina parks across from the street from the house in flames. The trucks are flashing their lights, the workers in bulky suits are holding hoses, trying to control the flames. There’s a small crowd gathered, but it seems as if there is no casualties. Regina and Emma walk around, watching the scene before them, finding a spot where they’re close to feeling the warmth and far from the crowd, but not get burned or get in the way of the firemen.

 

“The reason I got the part,” Regina starts, worrying her lip as she tries to find the right words to say. Her hands are wrapping themselves around her stomach, almost as if she was hugging herself gently, trying to give herself courage to say what’s on her mind. “I’m a little like Lizzie. Except I don’t worry about a Savior coming to rescue me.”

 

“Good thing.” Emma shrugs, focusing on the flames crackling before them. Regina looks away for a moment before taking a deep breath and refocusing on the fire. “You got some kind of list?”

 

Regina huffed, glancing at the blonde at her side, “Are you asking to mock me or do you really want to know?”

 

Emma smirked, turning to look at the brunette, “Maybe a little bit of both.”

 

Regina smiled at her softly, searching her eyes. Emma matched her smile before she turned back to the fire. Regina rolled her eyes, “I’ll take a chance.”

 

“Go for it.”

 

“It’s like a to-do list, but for my life.”

 

Emma smirked, “Like a bucket list?”

 

“If you can’t imagine the future, you won’t have one.”

 

Emma frowned slightly, taking a pack of cigarettes out and lighting one. Regina grins, taking the cigarette out of her mouth and takes a drag, letting the smoke blow out slowly. Emma shuffled closer so they can share the cigarette.

 

“So what else is on this list?”

 

Regina sighed, letting another puff out before she answers, “It’s private.”

 

“You want to tell me~” Emma said in a singsong voice, tapping her arm.

 

Regina looked at her, frowning as she looked over Emma, pulling her blue sweater closer to herself almost as an armor.

 

“Get wasted?” Emma tried to guess, shifting in her shoes, “Lose your virginity-?”

 

“Spend a year in the peace corps,” Regina corrected, deciding to blame the heat of her cheeks on the dying fire and not on the blonde, “Make a medical discovery.”

 

“Ambitious,” Emma took a drag of her cigarette, blowing it slowly.

 

“Being negative is a lot more work than being positive.”

 

Emma scoffed, “Like you’d know.”

 

“I do know.” Regina bit out, harsh. She kept her eyes locked on the house before she let out a slow breath. “Be two places at once. Learn to hit a baseball or turn a cartwheel. Eat breakfast with chopsticks.”

 

Emma looked at Regina with a soft smile, her eyes softening as she took in the brunette. “What’s number one?”

 

“If you want help with your lines, I have two conditions.” Regina looked away, a deep blush crawling over her skin from her chest to rest on her cheeks.  She looked back at Emma, sizing her up before her eyes landed on green. Her face was a perfect picture of seriousness. “You have to promise not to fall in love with me.”

 

Emma scoffed, her eyebrow raising in disbelief. She rolled her eyes, “No problem.”

 

“And,” Regina took a deep breath, “You have to meet my mother.”

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A triple threat! Woooo!
> 
> I honestly have no clue how these are fairing, it gets later by the hour as I type, so if I make any errors, please don't hesitate to call me out on my shit. I will fix it ASAP for ya :)

Emma parks her bike, making sure it’s secure on its kickstand. She turns to the older woman standing stiffly by the door. Her hair is pulled back out of her face, put a couple of stray rebellious strands curl over her shoulders, spilling into her front. She’s wearing a crisp white blouse, a regal deep red jacket matching the red hue of her lipstick. Her brows are furrowed and her lips pursed as her eyes narrow on the blonde. Emma gave a friendly wave, her smile faltering as Cora’s frown deepened on her face.

 

Emma took a deep breath, puffed out her chest, and walked up to the woman, reaching her hand out to shake. “Good morning. Emma Swan.”

 

Cora let her eyes take in the scraggly blonde in front of her, eyeing the ripped jeans, army boots, dirty t-shirt, and obnoxiously bright red leather jacket. Emma’s blonde waves were loose, curling whichever way they pleased. Cora reluctantly took Emma’s hand giving it a firm shake before she let it drop as if it was radioactive.

 

“You’re in the play?” Cora raised an eyebrow, giving her a pointed look of disapproval.

 

Emma gave her a half smile, “Leading woman.”

 

Regina slid outside, wearing nice black jeans and a casual white t-shirt.

 

Emma closed her eyes as she hears her bike clatter down noisily behind her. She mentally curses herself, before snapping her eyes open and looking at Cora sheepishly.

 

Regina fights a smile as she looks at Emma, “I’ll go get something to drink.”

 

“Don’t bother!” Emma tried, but Regina was already gone. She looked at Cora, fighting back her desire to gulp nervously.

 

Cora huffs, turning slightly, gesturing for the blonde to enter. Emma bows slightly, entering after Cora. She looks around the Mills household, examining the dark and stiff furniture. Everything was sharp, and clinically clean. Emma felt she had to step into a decontamination shower before she can continue walking into the house. She turned to a dresser, looking at the pictures when one catches her eye. In it, a little girl is sitting on an older man’s lap. The little girl is wearing a light blue dress with her hair pulled up by blue ribbons while the gentleman is wearing a blue riding suit. They both have gold medals around their necks and a trophy in the man’s hand. They’re wearing huge matching smiles. Despite the coldness of the house, Emma finds herself smiling at the picture, the joy radiating from the little girl.

 

Emma turns, feeling eyes burning in the back of her head and sees Cora. She clears her throat, smiling at the woman. “You know, our planet would not suffer for one nanosecond if humans die off. But if ants disappeared, it would be catastrophic.”

 

Cora sits, picking up one of the envelopes on the coffee table and starts to read, ignoring the blonde.

 

Emma flusters, turning back to the pictures.

 

“Let’s get something straight,” Cora starts, not bothering to look at Emma, “You don’t know me. I don’t know you. But I know what you’re about.” She rips open another envelope, pulling out the contents, “Keep your distance from this house- and from Regina.”

 

Cora finally looked at the blonde, her dark piercing eyes meeting wide green eyes. She smirked in victory while Emma looked down, shifting awkwardly in her shoes.

 

Regina clutters in with a tray of lemonade, her smile easy and polite. “Did I miss anything?”

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Regina smiles softly, washing the dishes peacefully. She lets the warm water run over her hands, giving her  a soft comfort.

 

“Stop wasting water.” Cora snaps, entering the kitchen with a stiff back. Regina immediately stiffens in her stance, her back straightening as her hand flies to shut the water off. “The Swan girl. Tell me about her.”

 

Regina tilts her head, opening and closing her mouth a couple times trying to find the right words to say. Her brow furrows and her tongue darts out of her lips to drag back in against her bottom lip. “She wants help with her lines.”

 

“She was part of the break in at the construction plant.” Cora wasn’t asking, she was stating.

 

“Well-”

 

“Regina she’s careless, reckless.” Cora interrupted, puffing out her chest, wringing her hands on a white handkerchief, as if wiping away the idea of having touched Emma. “Is this really the best time to be making a new friend?”

 

“I’m supposed to always be alone?” Despite her best efforts, Regina’s breath hitched, giving the older woman a hint of her weakness.

 

Cora stiffened, her eyes narrowing on the back of her daughter. Regina closed her eyes as she willed herself to control her breathing, feeling the burning of Cora’s eyes over her. “I don’t want you to see her outside school activities.”

 

“Yes, mother.” Regina breathed, opening her eyes and looking down at the plates in sink.

 

Cora sighed, stepping closer and gathering Regina’s hair together to keep it out of her way as she washes the dishes, curling it around her hand before tying it in a loose ponytail. “You’re not the only one that misses your father, you know. He would be so proud of you.”

 

Regina shut her eyes, clenching her jaw. She took a deep breath, trying to center herself as she blinked back the tears. “He was always proud of me.”

 

xXxXxXx

Regina checked her phone, blinking against the harsh light as it illuminated her face, showing her her lock screen with the time 1:14am. The corners of her mouth turn up in a slight smile as she slowly gets up, changing out of her nightdress into black jeans, a grey shirt, her soft blue sweater, and a green backpack. She walks out, peering into her mother’s room, making sure she was snoring away before she walked out of the house. It takes her 10 minutes to walk the familiar pathway to the town cemetery, the moonlight illuminating her walk, and she almost turns and goes back until she sees the blonde smiling at her in the darkness.

 

Emma chuckles softly at her, shaking her head at the ridiculousness of the situation, an eyebrow raised as she looks at the brunette pushing strands of her hair behind her ear.

 

“I know,” Regina smiles softly, but her smile doesn’t reach her eyes, “Don’t say anything.”

 

Emma pushed Regina’s shoulder with hers, “She’s a softy. I have her wrapped around my finger.”

 

Regina laughed, looking at Emma disbelieving, “You think so?”

 

“Know so.” Emma kept a serious face for about 10 seconds before she succumbs to laughter, joining Regina.

 

When their laughter subsides and Regina uses the back of her hand to wipe the tears away from laughing, she turns to the blonde beside her. “This way.”

 

Regina taps Emma’s arm, smiling up at her before turning to walk down the pathway leading Emma towards the cemetery rear gate.

 

“People think I’m strange,” Regina sighs, looking down at her footsteps. “Don’t they?”

 

Emma smiled, letting her eyes look over the smaller brunette’s figure “Yes.”

 

“Because of my mother?” She stopped, turning back to Emma, but kept her eyes down at Emma’s feet, watching the aglets of her boots glitter in the moonlight.

 

“Yes.” Emma looked at her, her eyes scanning over her features, trying to study her face in the shadows of the night. “Maybe. I dunno.”

 

“Do you think I’m strange?” Regina looked up at her, catching her eyes. She didn’t miss the slight recoil Emma hand. The half-step back before she tilted her head, her brow furrowing and her eyes searching.

 

“Well. Yeah. But that can be good.”

 

Regina quickly turned around, missing the half smile that appeared on Emma’s lips. She quickly scaled the gate, jumping over it with more practice than she cared to admit. Emma followed after, landing with a strong thud on her feet.

 

“Why are we here?” Emma asks, looking at Regina’s back.

 

Regina shrugs off her backpack, pulling out a flashlight. “Because it’s dark and quiet and you can see into another world.”

 

Emma wiggled her fingers in front of her face, “The world of the dead?”

 

“Could be.” Regina looked over her shoulder, a soft smirk on her face, as she raised a brow.

 

Emma rolled her eyes, dropping her hands as she follows Regina down an unpaved path.

 

“My father is buried near here.” Regina whispered, her voice soft as her shoulders fell.

 

Emma looked at the brunette, chewing her lip. “I’m an orphan. My parents abandoned me by the side of a freeway when I was 3 hours old. Mary Margaret and David adopted me when I was in 10th grade, but by then it was too late.”

 

Regina turned back to look at her, her hand rising to caress Emma’s cheek before she stopped herself and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked in her eyes, smiling softly at her when she smiled back. She pulled herself away, walking into a storage shed and pulled out an odd looking homemade cylindrical device.

 

Emma scoffed, letting her eyes scan over the thing in Regina’s hands. “What is  _ that _ ?”

 

Regina smiled proudly, “ _ That _ is my telescope.”

 

Emma watched in wonder as Regina set up the ten inch device on a plywood base, pointing it up in the sky. She watched as Regina angled it to where she wanted it, looking into the eyepiece and adjusting the dials. Emma let herself get distracted by a pink tongue poking out of full lips as the brunette focused. She finally pulled away, smiling brightly and motioned for Emma to look through. Emma stumbled forward, letting the shadows hide the heat that grew on her cheeks as she looked into the eyepiece and gazed upon a view of a golden planet with a broad flat ring system.

 

“Saturn.” Emma breathed, sitting up to look at Regina slack jawed, “Beautiful.”

 

Regina looked down at her feet, letting her believe that the heat on her face was just because of the biting cold of the night. “Before Voyager, we expected maybe a dozen rings.”

 

“But there are thousands of them, made of floating ice.”

 

“Maybe debris from a moon that broke apart.”

 

“Or building blocks for a world that never formed.”

 

Regina looked at Emma, tilting her head as she searched her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. Emma flustered, breathing out as she looked away.

 

“I’m not smart,” Emma sat down on the grass, lying down to look up at the sky, “I’m just a sponge.”

 

Regina shakes her head, looking through the telescope once more before sitting down next to her.

 

“Sometimes I come here and just scan the heavens.”

 

“Looking for alien life?”

 

Regina chuckled softly, swatting Emma’s arm half heartedly. “Looking for something. Someone.”

 

Emma turned her face to Regina, taking notice of the slight scar over her top lip. She found herself memorizing each feature of the brunette beside her. “Do you believe you’ll see your father again?”

 

“I hope so.” Regina sighed, lying down beside Emma, keeping her eyes trained on the stars above them. “I think maybe he sees me now.”

 

Regina turned her head, catching Emma’s eyes. She feels her eyes starting to water before she closes them and turns away, blinking away the memories.

 

“I’m, uh,” Regina clears her throat, sitting up to look at the telescope. “I’m building a larger one to see the nucleus of Halley's Comet.”

 

“The dirty snowball at its core.”

 

“Yeah.” Regina sighed, worrying her bottom lip, “I’m probably not going to be around next time it comes.”

 

“In 76 years?” Emma scoffed, sitting up, “Me neither.”

 

“You _ are _ smart.” Regina turns to smile back at Emma, pushing her playfully with her shoulder.

 

Emma smiled at her, looking towards the telescope. “I’m not the one who built a telescope on my own.”

 

Regina looked down, letting the blush crawl up her chest to her cheeks.

 

“You also knew the answer to where the Salem Witch trials started.” Regina searched Emma’s face, “How did you know?”

 

“I uh.” Emma smiled softly, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She looked down at her hands, letting them skim through the grass, pulling out blades and unconsciously splitting them in half. “I used to live in Danvers for a while. I was around 12 at the time. I only managed to stay at that foster house for about 6 weeks before they sent me out, but by then I had explored the Victim’s Memorial a bunch of times.”

 

“Do you ever wonder why things happen the way they do?”

 

“No.” Emma breathed, leaning back on her hands.

 

“I like to think there’s some great big plan for everyone. But sometimes.” Regina lied back down, looking up at the stars. “I don’t get what the point is.”

 

“There is no point. You live.” Emma turned her head, looking down at Regina, “You die. The end.”

 

“Maybe.” Regina let her eyes fall to meet cool green ones. A small smile twitched at the corners of her mouth.

 

Emma sighed, lying down next to her, “Your mother doesn’t like me.”

 

Regina chuckled softly, “She doesn’t trust you.”

 

“Sometimes I don’t even trust me.”

 

Emma took a deep breath before she shifted on her hands, pulling out her copy of the script from her pocket.

 

“I’m not afraid of you, Emma.”

 

Emma smiled at Regina, handing her a copy, “Likewise.”

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

Emma was sitting on the grass in front of the school before the gates open. She lifted the coffee cup to her lips as she leaned back against Killian’s chest. Dorothy was sitting on Ruby’s lap, her hands twirling through the other brunette’s black and red hair. Killian wore a deep frown, eyeing the girls to his side with a sneer.

 

“Can you two be any more disgusting?” He scoffed as they pressed their foreheads together.

 

Ruby rolled her eyes, lifting her hand and flipping him off.

 

“You’re just jealous I get more pussy than you do.” Dorothy smirked. Ruby snorted, chuckling softly. Emma fought a laugh, her shoulders shaking with the effort.

 

Killian growled, taking a sip of Emma’s coffee, “It’s too early for your gay shit.”

 

“Oh my god,” Ruby whined playfully as she flipped him off again, “So mean!”

 

“It’s usually said that those that are very uncomfortable with ‘The Gays’ are severely closeted,” Dorothy rested her head on Ruby’s shoulder, nuzzling her neck, “So which are you, homophobe or closeted twink?”

 

“Guys,” Emma smirked, “Play nice.”

 

Killian shot Dorothy a glare before flipping her off. Dorothy rolled her eyes blowing a kiss before caressing Ruby’s cheek, bringing her in for a kiss. Killian swept his eyes across the slowly filling parking lot, pulling the blonde in his arms closer.

 

“Why is Regina Mills staring at us?” He drawled, causing Ruby to break her kiss with an audible pop before looking around. Emma glanced up, locking eyes with Regina, her face in a straight mask. Regina was leaning against her car, a giant book pressed against her chest protectively. She was wearing black jeans, shirt, and jacket, black boots with a slight heel. The only splash of color was a bright blue scarf lightly wrapped around her neck. The brunette was observing the group with a soft smile, her eyes meeting Emma’s and she looked away.

 

“She wants to jump Emma’s bones,” Ruby snorted, placing a kiss on Dorothy’s temple.

 

“That’s pitiful,” Killian sneered, nuzzling Emma as he whispered, “You’re mine.”

 

“She’s confused,” Emma pulled herself forward, leaning away from Killian.

 

“Deluded,” Ruby trailed her hand down Dorothy’s back.

 

Dorothy huffed, “Deranged.”

 

“Demented.” Killian leaned back, eyeing the dark brunette with a glare, his eyes challenging. 

 

“Guys,” Emma sighed, rolling her eyes, “Can y’all chill for three seconds.”

 

Ruby eyed her friend, “Are you going soft on the Evil Queen?”

 

Emma shot her a glare, her brows furrowing in a frown.

 

“She’s coming here,” Killian spoke before Emma could reply, wrapping his arm around Emma’s waist possessively. Emma squirmed but didn’t push him away, lifting her cup to her lips and drinking. Regina strolled up to the group, her steps confident and regal. She held her head high, her shoulders back and a soft smile on her lips.

 

“Hi,” Regina looked down at Emma, taking in her appearance, her trademark red jacket, before letting her eyes drift around the group as she nodded politely to them in greeting. She looked back to the blonde, locking her warm chocolate eyes to glittering green. Emma just looked at her, her eyes drifting over Regina, scrutinizing her with a blank look on her face. Regina shifted her weight from foot to foot, her brow furrowing from the silence before her teeth poked out claiming her bottom lip. “The play’s going to be really good. Kathryn had the art club work on the set, and the fashion club is almost done with the costume.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes, snorting softly, “That’s so cool.”

 

Ruby eyed Regina with a teasing glare, smirking as she noticed her discomfort at the attention.

 

Regina sighed, “I’m guessing you don’t want to practice lines tonight.”

 

“You guessed right,” Emma leaned back against Killian, noticing Regina shift on her feet again as she looked down. Regina snapped her eyes back to Emma’s, a knowing glimmer in her eyes before she smiles, letting her eyes sweep over the group again as she nodded a silent goodbye and walked away. Emma lets herself slide lower, bringing the cup to her lips as her brows furrow.

 

“That’s one girl who can’t take a hint.” Killian snarked, rolling his eyes as he ran a hand through his hair.

 

“She’s like a little puppy,” Ruby chuckled, nuzzling Dorothy, “Emma gave her a drop of attention and now she won’t stop following her. A little love sick pup.”

 

Emma looked up at Ruby as they laughed, her frown deepened before she shook out her thoughts and gave them an amused smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Regina walks to the door, drying her wet hands on a light blue apron. The doorbell had caught her off guard. She shot a glance to her mother, who was sitting at her desk with a scowl on her face as she reads through a couple of files. Regina stood up on tiptoes to reach the peephole, a short puff of disbelief left her lips as she leaned back on her heels and opened the door. She wordlessly took in Emma’s sheepish shrug, her eyes skimming through Emma’s outfit. A green sleeveless shirt and muddied jeans, a brown shoulder bag across her chest.

 

“Better not be that Swan girl.” Cora spoke never looking up from her papers, her voice low but her tone commanding. Regina straightened her back to not reveal the shiver that ran down her spine. She gritted her teeth, looked at Emma with an air of finality and shut the door with a gentle click.

 

Emma let out the breath she was holding in disbelief. She raised her hand and knocked on the door. She shifted on her feet as she waited, pulling her hands into her pockets to keep them from shaking.

 

“Regina.” The blonde called out, forcing her voice to be strong. “Open up.”

 

Emma swept her eyes from the door to the window and back, knocking again after a minute. “Open the door please.”

 

When Emma saw that the door wasn’t going to open, she took a deep sigh, biting on her lower lip as her brows furrowed. “Madam Mills, I need to speak to your daugh-”

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Regina spoke, turning the corner from the backyard, stepping up to the porch behind Emma.

 

“You’re not in a good mood.”

 

Regina scoffed at her, “You don’t miss a thing.”

 

“The play’s in a couple of weeks.”

 

“Yeah,” Regina crossed her arms, her stance defensive, “So?”

 

“I was hoping we could run some lines together.”

 

“Oh.” Regina nodded slowly, her eyes flickering as she processed the information, “Just not at school.”

 

“Yeah!”

 

“Or anywhere where people might see us.”

 

“Killian is a very jealous person.”

 

“That would be the reason.” Regina pulled her arms closer to her, looking down at the space between them. She took a deep breath, putting on a blank face as she looked up, her eyes connecting with Emma’s searching green ones. “So, it’s like you want us to be what? Secret friends?”

 

“Yes! Exactly!” Emma breathed, taking a hesitant step forward, a grin spreading on her face, one that Regina tried not to look at. “It’s like you read my mind!”

 

“Then maybe you can read mine.” Regina snapped her eyes back to Emma’s, keeping the blank look on her face as Emma furrowed her brow and her smile faded. Regina frowned, her eyes narrowing at her and she gritted her teeth. The brunette pushed past the blonde, shoving her out of her way with her shoulder as she entered the house.

 

“I thought-” Regina took a deep breath, glad when she let it out steady and controlled, not giving away the turmoil she felt in her heart. “I thought I saw something in you. Something good.” Regina turned to face the blonde again, her eyes flickering as she took in the blonde’s pleading look. She set her jaw, swallowing past the lump in her throat. “But I was wrong.”

 

With that, the brunette slammed the door, leaning against it as she took in deep breaths to try to control her pounding heart and the traitorous tears that were pooling in her eyes. Cora looked at Regina, her eyes narrowing and her lips pursing.

 

Mrs. Mills raised her pen, parting the curtains to see the blonde standing outside with a look of confusion on her face. Emma was taking hesitant steps forwards and backwards, not knowing what exactly she did wrong. Cora continued to stare at the blonde, locking eyes with her from the window. The older brunette glared at Emma until she willed her to walk away. Cora smirked, letting the curtain fall back with a soft thud.

 

“The first time I met her, I knew.” Cora turned her gaze at Regina, who looked at her with her eyes wide and watery, her mouth in a soft line. “I’m proud of how you’re handling yourself.”

 

Regina set her jaw, raising her chin and walking off to her room. She closed the door with a soft click, locking it. Regina sits in her bed, pulling the pillow against her chest and burying her face in it’s softness, muffling her tears.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma sits in her room, looking through a yearbook as a documentary drones on in the background. She turns the pages until she arrives to who she was looking for. Regina’s face smiles up from the page, underneath it listed the clubs she participated in. ‘Red Cross, History, Science, Equestrian, Drama. Ambitions: to witness a miracle.’.

 

Mary Margaret’s gentle knocking on the door causes Emma to jump, closing the book with a sharp thud as she slides it away from herself.

 

“Come in,” Emma mutters, reaching for the remote to mute the tv.

 

Mary Margaret walks in, hesitant. She looks around Emma’s room, looking at everything instead of Emma’s face as she says, “Are you joining us for dinner?”

 

“Why?” Emma looks at her, pulling out her headphones from her pocket, “So I can watch you both avoid looking at me? Or so I can help you both plan on getting rid of me, and still keep your appearances in this town?”

 

“Emma,” Mary Margaret frowned, taking a shaking breath, “We’re not planning on getting rid of you.”

 

“No,” Emma scoffed, looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars glued to the ceiling, “You just regret adopting me, and resent my very existence.”

 

“Emma-”

 

“Save it.”

 

“You don’t understand-”

 

“Understand what?” Emma stood up from the bed, her eyes watering with tears, but narrowed as she glared at the short brunette in front of her, “How the day I came out to you, you told me you supported me unconditionally, but the  _ very next day _ , I caught you two saying that you never signed up to adopt a gay daughter? About how you can’t even show your face in public because I’m such an  _ embarrassment _ to you? Or how about how you refused to even look at me? Even when I tried. I tried to be what you want.”

 

Mary Margaret looked at her daughter, her eyes spilling with tears and her bottom lip trembling. She swallowed through the lump in her throat, opening and closing her mouth, searching for something to say.

 

Emma looked away, taking a deep breath and willing herself to not let the tears fall, no matter how much they stung in her eyes. She pushed past Mary Margaret, running out to the garage, getting her bike and biking away from the house, ignoring Mary Margaret and David calling at her. As the cool breeze rushed through her hair, sending a jolt down her spine and goosebumps to scatter on her skin, she let the tears finally fall.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma stabbed the pitchfork into the barrel of hay, running a dirtied white towel across her sweaty forehead. She raked a hand through her damp hair, pulling it back into a ponytail as she eyed Athena roaring in the distance, scaring yet another student away. She took a water bottle from a cooler, downing half of it down in a gulp before she spilled the rest on her hands, dabbing them dry with the towel. The blonde glanced at Regina, who was focusing on her own horse, her hands steady as she brushed the horse’s mane.

 

Emma looked back at Athena, focusing on the way the horse stepped away apprehensively. She swallowed her courage, taking a carrot from the cart and stepping towards the black mare.

 

“Heh,” Emma smiled lopsided, willing her heart to slow from it’s frantic beating, “Hey, Athena.”

 

Athena snorted, taking a step further into the stable, her tail clamped-down to her body.

 

Emma gulped, taking another step closer, her back straightening as she extended the carrot towards the mare. “My name is Emma. I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. But I have a treat for you.”

 

Athena’s ears pricked forward, stiff and tall. She took a hesitant step forward, huffing at the carrot. Athena bit into the carrot, crunching it in Emma’s hand, before she darted backwards till she bumped into the back wall of the stable. The black mare ate in silence, the blonde watching her carefully, making sure not to move. The horse grunted, taking another step forward, more certain. She took another bite of the carrot, eating it quickly, licking Emma’s palm.

 

“That’s a good girl,” She whispered, smiling hesitantly at Athena, slowly bringing her other hand up to caress her nose, trailing her hand up towards her forehead before stretching her fingers as she moved her hand back down. Athena grunted softly, moving closer to Emma’s hand when she tried to pull away. The blonde let her free hand trail from the horse’s mouth to her cheek, petting the soft hair with slow movements. “Thank you.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Showtime! The day of the play is finally here! I want to apologize about all the tension and angst, but it's gotta get worse before it gets better. Unfortunately, it still hasn't gotten to the horrible parts, but it is going to be a slow burn. This is honestly the first slow burn I've ever written, so I have no clue how this is turning out. Please don't hesitate to call me out on any issue or problem, either grammatically or character wise. Or just leave a comment if you like how it's going, those are fun too :)
> 
> I have no clue how long this story's going to be, but I do know it's long, and I do want to explore more of the characters and their interactions. I want to add more of the characters interacting with each other and learning more about themselves and of each other, but that's going to be for a later time :)
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you guys think. I hope I'm at least writing something coherent and entertaining :)

Emma sat in the right corner of the stage in a bar, half facing the audience. She ran a hand over her straightened hair pulled back into a side braid, before gathered into a ponytail at the back. She fiddled with the tie around her neck, looking over the audience and the set in front of her. It was past Intermission, and Emma had zoned out of the scenes as they played their roles. She was so distracted that she jumped as the curtains closed the first time. The blonde stifled a yawn, trying and failing to focus because the ending was coming up, and she would finally be able to leave.

 

Emma heard Regina’s voice, floating in from her entrance towards the back of the stage. She looked up and when her eyes met Regina’s, her heart stopped beating momentarily in her chest. The brunette had her hair pulled back, flecks of her bangs let loose to curl around and frame her face. She was wearing glittering pink lipgloss, matching the light cream colored floor length dress. It sparkled under the stage lights, the sleeves falling low, almost to where the calves would be. Emma couldn’t stop herself from looking her over, her eyes taking in the purple gem around her neck that fell low almost caressing the swell of her breasts. When her eyes met the brunette, Emma felt her lips curl into a shy smile. Regina looked at the blonde, her eyes trailing over Emma’s black suit, before she turned her attention to the other cast member, continuing her lines.

 

Emma could feel her heart hammering in her chest as Regina looked back at the blonde. She felt herself sit up straighter when the brunette smiled softly, walking closer and sitting down next to the blonde. Emma saw her lips move, she knew she was speaking, but she couldn’t hear any words, lost in the melodic hum of the other’s voice and her heart pounding in her ears.

 

“You’ll look in the mirror,” Emma finally registered her own voice as she said the lines, feeling her heart swell when Regina leaned slightly closer, a soft smile playing on her lips, a slight scar just above them caught Emma’s attention, “and you’ll be more than pretty. You’ll be beautiful. Look at me. Tell me what you see!”

 

Emma’s eyes snapped to Regina’s, her eyes searching the blonde for any sign of deceit or mischief. Regina’s heart started to pound in her chest as she felt herself melting into Emma, who was looking at her as if she was the only one in the world. Regina felt her skin heating up under the blonde’s gaze, a warmth running up her stomach to settle itself in her chest.

 

She felt a lump form in her throat, and gulped as she tried to clear it, before she whispered, loud enough for her mike, “Is it really me?”

 

“Yes,” Emma felt the corners of her lips curling up into a soft smile, her eyes warming as she gazed into Regina’s, losing herself in the warm ember of her eyes. She breathed out, “You’re beautiful.”

 

Regina felt her heart skip a beat in her chest, her breathing quickened. Emma’s eyes jumped down to Regina’s mouth, which parted on exhale. The distance between them was closing and they couldn’t figure who was the one moving, until Emma brushed her lips against Regina’s. The brunette’s eyes fluttered closed as their lips pressed against each others. The blonde brought her hand up, caressing Regina’s cheek. When they parted, resting their foreheads against each other, Regina brought her hand up, her fingertips gently tracing Emma’s bottom lip and chin, her eyes opening and glistening with tears. Emma pulled back, a soft unsure smile on her lips.

 

It wasn’t much later, when Ms. Nolan came up to them, breaking their bubble with a squeal of joy and a chatter that the blonde immediately droned out, did Emma notice that the curtains had already fallen. She watched as Regina stood and walked away, the brunette refused to meet her eyes.

 

Emma walked off of the stage, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm her rapid heartbeat. She looked around at the crowd slowly making their way out of the auditorium. The blonde gulped when her eyes met Mrs. Mills’, taking in her clothes with a scowl. Emma ran out of the building, spotting Killian storming off to his car. She jogged after him, panting as she neared.

 

“Killian!” She huffed out, leaning over to catch her breath.

 

“What?” He growled as he stopped, turning back to face her, his jaw clenched and eyes hard and cold, looking at her in disdain.

 

Emma took a step back, opening and closing her mouth, trying to find something to say.

 

“That’s what I thought.”

 

Emma sighed as she watched him get in his car and drive off. Her shoulders sagged and she turned her face up to the heavens, her eyes roaming over the blackness of the sky, scattered with a few faint stars.

 

“Emma!” Mary Margaret’s voice floated up to her from behind her. The blonde turned to the older brunette, pushing back the tears that were prickling in her eyes. “You did a wonderful job!”

 

“Did I?” Emma crossed her arms, searching Mary Margaret’s eyes as she was nodding furiously, her black pixie cut bouncing wildly.

 

“Yes! Right David?”

 

David smiled warmly at Emma, extending a bouquet of wild lilies. “Brava!”

 

Emma hesitated before taking the flowers with a soft smile.

 

Mary Margaret smiled wide, “Are you hungry? We were thinking you could join us for a bite to eat at the diner, to celebrate!”

 

“Sure.” Emma took a step forward, her smile growing as she looked from David to Mary Margaret.

 

“You can even invite Killian! Make it a date!”

 

Emma reeled back, freezing in her steps as she regarded the brunette with a look of pure incredulousness. Her lips parted, breathing out a shaky sigh before she clenched her jaw, her brow furrowed as she glared at the brunette. “On second thought. I’m not hungry.”

 

Mary Margaret didn’t have a chance to react before the blonde ran off, the flowers hitting the ground with a soft thud.

 

xXxXxXx

 

Emma was lying down on Ruby’s bench, her head on the brunette’s lap. Ruby was running her fingers through the blonde’s hair, braiding strands before she mindlessly loosened them and went back. Emma breathed in the fresh scent of dew and sweetgrass, and the endearing scent of lilac and wet dog, courtesy of Dorothy giving her dog, Toto, a bath. Dorothy was playing with the dog a few feet away, throwing the ball and the occasional squeaky toy.

 

Emma let her eyes track the clouds drifting over her head, She lightly noticed the tickling sensation of her friend’s hair on her forehead, but she was too far away. Her mind was thinking back on the day, as she walked through the halls searching for a particular brunette, with soft lips, expressive eyes, and an enticing scar just above her lips. She searched everywhere throughout the school, but as much as she tried, she couldn’t find Regina. She even noticed Killian, his arm wrapped possessively over Milah, glaring daggers at her, but she just walked off, uncaring. She didn’t care, she couldn’t bring herself to, not when Regina had pushed her away. Not when Regina looked at her that way that night. Not when she had kissed Regina, and she had disappeared.

 

“Earth to Emma.” Ruby teased, tapping her lightly on the forehead, “Come in Emma.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stop the small smile that ghosted her lips, “What?”

 

“What were you daydreaming about?”

 

“Nothing,” Emma sighed, the heat that started to crawl its way up her chest to her cheeks was just the sun and Ruby’s mischievous eyes, at least, that’s what Emma will say it is.

 

“Well, we were talking about how Killian was saying that that kiss you and Regina had was real.”

 

“It was.”

 

“He’s spreading it around school.”

 

“Let him.”

 

Ruby’s hands stilled in the blonde’s hair, as her eyes roamed over Emma’s face, an eyebrow raised as she locked eyes with the blonde. Something flashed in her brown eyes, before she let a small smile run across her lips. “You love her.”

 

“Love is a strong word.” Emma sat up from her position, her back to Ruby as she tried to control her heart which started to race in her chest and a fluttering that erupted in her stomach.

 

“I’m proud of you,” Ruby spoke softly, almost barely a whisper, but Emma heard her loud and clear, “And Dorothy and I are here for you.”

 

Emma didn’t know what to say, nor did she know if she should. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She turned towards her friend, smiling softly. Tears welled in her eyes and she leaned her head on the brunette’s shoulder, before Ruby’s grandmother came out of the kitchen, calling the girls in for lunch.

 

xXxXxXx

 

Emma was waiting by Regina’s locker, her eyes scanning the crowd until she spotted the brunette walking over. She had a green backpack slung over her shoulders, a book hold loosely against her chest, almost protectively, and her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. She seemed refreshed, a soft blue sweater flowing loosely around her. The brunette walked up to her locker, actively ignoring the blonde by her side, refusing to meet her eyes.

 

“You weren’t in school yesterday.” Emma didn’t frame it as a question, merely as an observation. She was leaning back against the lockers casually, taking in Regina’s mannerisms before searching her eyes.

 

“I went to the doctor with Mother.” Her voice was tight, answering but not giving any clues as to her wanting more of a conversation.

 

“Is she okay?”

 

“Healthy as can be.”

 

Emma bit the inside of her cheek, looking over Regina with a frown. “You were great the other night.”

 

“Thank you.” Regina whispered, her hand pausing as she was pushing her backpack inside, a spool of black hair falling out of her ponytail  and onto her face. “So were you.”

 

Emma reached out, intent on pushing the hair back over her ear, when Regina turned away, her hand shoving her backpack fully into the locker and slamming it closed. Emma jumped, pulling her hand away as Regina pushed her own hair back.

 

“I haven’t been nice to you.”

 

“You’re hardly nice to anyone.”

 

Emma nodded softly, her voice tightening as tears started to burn at the back of her eyes, threatening to break free. “I’m sorry.” She whispered, swallowing against a lump at her throat.

 

Regina looked at Emma, finally looking into her eyes. Emma noticed that they were filled with tears, a tiredness evident in the redness of the sclera. The brunette clenched her jaw, her chin rising as she straightened her back. She turned to walk away, not bothering to look back at the blonde as she said, “I wish I could believe you.”

 

Emma watched after her, trying to steady her breathing, pushing back the tears. She gritted her teeth, kicking off of the lockers and trailing after the brunette towards the cafeteria. Taking a moment to search the large area, she found who she was looking for, sitting alone as she read from her book. Even in the distance, Emma noticed that Regina’s eyes weren’t reading, she was staring mutely at the page. The blonde moved forward, ignoring Ruby’s questioning gaze and sitting down in front of Regina.

 

“People can see.” Regina spoke up, not looking up from the page.

“And that would ruin your reputation, how?”

 

Regina rolled her eyes, bringing the book closer to her face in an attempt to shut Emma out.

 

“What’s that?” Emma motioned towards the book, crossing her arms petulantly. Regina sighed deeply, lifting the book’s spine to show Emma the name, ‘The Scarlet Letter’.

 

“I’m reading all of the novels on Dr. Hopper’s best American Authors list.”

 

“How many books are there?”

 

Regina’s voice strained as she gritted her teeth and huffed, “A  _ hundred _ . Then there’s his classics list. And his European list.”

 

Emma sighed, letting her arms slip from where she had them crossed as she slipped further down her chair. “That’s on your ‘Life List’. To read all those books?” At the brunette’s rolled eyes, Emma continued, “Regina. Maybe I want to try being positive.”

 

Regina looked up at her, her eyes searching Emma’s face. So many emotions were flashing through Regina’s eyes that Emma couldn’t even try to figure it out.

 

“Maybe I miss doing that dumb play with you.” Regina set her jaw as the table next to them started to whisper to themselves, their eyes and laughter clearly directed towards the two girls. “Maybe you inspire me.”

 

“Well, that’s a load of bullshit.” Regina remarked, closing her book with a loud snap.

 

“Which part?”

 

“All of it.”

 

“It’s not.” Emma floundered, her palms turning up on the table as she silently pleaded Regina to believe her.

 

“Prove it.” Regina stood, looking down at Emma, her back straight and stiff.

 

“I just did!”

 

Regina rolled her eyes, storming out of the cafeteria and the school. Emma looked after her, confused before standing in the silence of the huge room, and running after her. The blonde ignored the roaring of whispers that started as soon as she exited the room, focusing instead on the brunette walking towards her car.

 

“Regina!”

 

“You lack honor. You lack compassion. You lack honesty. You lack humanity.”

 

“Okay!” Emma sighed, following as the brunette walked determinedly towards the mercedes. “Maybe some of that is true-”

 

“You don’t know the first thing about being a friend.” Regina interrupted, turning around to meet her eyes.

 

“I don’t want to just be your friend.”

 

“You don’t know what you want.” Regina sneered, her arms crossing defensively against her chest.

 

“You don’t either.” Something dangerous flashed in those brown eyes. Emma bravely took a step forward, challenging Regina who didn’t step back. “Take a look at yourself. Maybe you’re scared that someone might actually like you.”

 

“And why would that scare me?”

 

“Because then you couldn’t hide behind your books and your telescope and your horse and your blue and your mother.”

 

Regina tilts her head, her lips tightening in a scowl as she turned, getting in her car and slamming the door.

 

“But the real reason you’re scared?!” Emma screamed loud enough so that Regina can hear her through the window. “You like me!”

 

Regina refused to look at Emma. She started her car with a roar and sped off, leaving the blonde behind. Ruby ran up behind Emma, setting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She shared a look with Dorothy before she eased Emma to turn around and follow back into the school.

 

xXxXxXx

 

Emma entered the house long after the sun had set. She set her shoes to the side, placing them gently on the mat before she walked towards the fridge. She froze as David sat up from his seat on the couch, pausing the movie he and Mary Margaret were watching.

 

“Emma!” David spoke, taking in her appearance with a frown, “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine.” She cursed inwardly as her voice came out strained, but she turned towards the stairs.

 

“Emma.” Mary Margaret whispered, stopping her in her tracks. “We’re so sorry.”

 

Emma sighed, closing her eyes as she failed to will her heart to slow it’s rapid beating. She turned, gazing cooly at the couple in front of her.

 

“It was unfair to you how we reacted when you chose to come out of the closet.” Mary Margaret started, her voice tight and eyes watery. “And it was cruel to force you to be something you’re not. It was cruel to make you earn that trust and change who you are to make us proud.”

 

“You already make us proud.” David spoke when his wife started choking on a sob. “Not the. The breaking and entering and the illegal mischief you get yourself in. But.”

 

“But you shouldn’t have to work for our love, Emma.”

 

“You already have it.” David smiled softly at the blonde girl in front of her. “And we’re so sorry we tried to change who you are.”

 

“We’re so proud of you Emma.”

 

Emma looked between the two, searching for any sign of deceit but it was getting hard as her tears blurred her vision. She couldn’t ignore the pang of hurt in her heart as it clenched in her chest, nor could she shrug off the sob that slipped from her lips. She took two hesitant steps towards the two before she ran to their arms, letting them wrap her up in a tight hug.

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

It took three months before Athena was comfortable enough with Emma’s presence to let the blonde strap the saddle on her back. It took another two months before Emma was brave enough to even get on the saddle. By then, Athena had gained a healthy weight. Her black hair had a kind of shine to it, glimmering and darkening with Athena’s sweat.

 

Today was the first day Emma was going to ride Athena in the fields, and Emma  was shifting nervously as Athena confidently walked out of the stables. The attendant, Daniel, led Athena towards the fields where they let the horses run. Emma gripped the reins tight, her knuckles turning white with the force. She let her eyes scan through the green grass, her eyes instantly finding a brown mare with a brunette rider. The blonde felt her heart hammering in her chest with the vision of the wind blowing through Regina’s hair as her horse trotted happily. Regina was calm and confident, and Emma straightened her back, swallowing her fears.

 

Daniel, the brunette stablehand, gently pushed Athena forward, closing the gate behind her. Athena took off into a gallop, Emma tightened her hold, trying to pull the reins to slow her horse down, but it only made the horse run faster. The blonde let out a small shout, shutting her eyes as panic rushed through her veins.

 

A cool and confident hand wrapping around Emma’s, startled the blonde’s eyes open. The hand pulled Emma’s hand back, causing Athena to slow to a stop. Emma turned towards the person who helped her and was startled when familiar chocolate eyes looked her over, worriedly.

 

“Are you alright?” Regina spoke above a whisper, her breathing coming out in short puffs.

 

Emma nodded mutely, turning her torso towards the brunette, only acutely aware of Regina’s hand still wrapped around hers.

 

“Thank you.” Emma searched Regina’s face, watching the worry slowly ebb out of her features.

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

“What’s his name?”

 

Regina frowned, her brow furrowing as she gazed into the blonde’s pale face.

 

“Your horse’s name.” Emma clarified.

 

“Oh,” Regina burst into a full smile, “His name is Rocinante.”

 

“He’s very fast.”

 

“He used to be a race horse before the accident.” Regina let her hand slip away from Emma’s and the brunette instantly missed the warmth. She patted Athena’s neck, smiling down at the horse to avoid looking at the blonde.

 

“Are you talking to me now?” Emma asked softly, looking down to Rocinante who was huffing happily, leaning towards Athena.

 

“When I have something to say.” Regina raised a brow in challenge, a small smirk on her lips.

 

“What’s number one on your list?” Emma faced her, as Regina shook her head softly, her eyes dancing over Emma’s face in amusement. “My number one is getting out of Storybrooke.”

 

“Getting out isn’t your problem.” the brunette urged Rocinante forward, walking away proudly, her head held high as she moved away from the blonde, “It’ll be figuring out what you want when you get somewhere.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“It means,” Regina pulled on the reins sharply, causing Rocinante to turn and trot around Emma and Athena. “You can do anything.”

 

xXxXxXx

 

Regina was sitting on the dining table, eating silently, her eyes downcast to avoid looking at her mother who was sitting at the head. She could feel Cora’s scrutinizing gaze on her face and her posture. The ringing doorbell startled the young brunette. She looked at Cora as urgent knocking resonated through the silent house.

 

Regina stood up, walking towards the door. She took a deep breath before she opened it, staring at the blonde in front of her, smiling sheepishly, a bright red santa hat on her head, matching her bright red leather jacket. Emma looked down, pulling a small box in shiny wrapping paper from behind her back. She held it out for Regina, who’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, staring at the box as if something was going to pop out and bite her.

 

“It’s a present,” Emma muttered, half shrugging, “Take it.”

 

Regina looked up at her, taking a step closer. She open and closed her mouth as she searched for the right words to say before she settled on, “I-I didn’t get you anything.”

 

Emma smiled, setting the box in Regina’s hands. “You don’t have to.”

 

Regina gave a small nod before turning her attention back to the slightly heavy box in her hands. She sat on the bench to her side, settling the box in her lap as she picked at the paper carefully. Once she fully opened it, she pulled out a beautiful silver tree necklace, with a blue gem. She let out a soft breath as she turned her attention back to the box and pulled out a gorgeous crystal rearing horse. Regina was speechless, her eyes tearing up as she turned to look at Emma with a shaking smile.

 

“Merry Christmas!” Emma just grinned back at her, taking a couple of steps back to her car. When Cora appeared at the doorway, glaring at Emma, the blonde just smiled wider, calling out, “And to all a good night!”

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Regina was brushing her hair back into a loose braid, her eyes drifting down to the sparkling tree necklace that was glittering on her neck. As much as she tried, she couldn’t stop smiling when she looked at it, nor when she looked at the figurine now sitting on her dresser, nor when she thought of the blonde who gave her the gifts. The infuriating blonde that was the first one to actually give her something in this town, without expecting anything in return. She was so lost in thought that she startled when she noticed her mother’s presence in the doorway, her back straightening in reflex.

 

“What is Emma Swan up to?” She spoke, her mouth in a scowl as she traced her daughter’s figure in the mirror.

 

“Up to?” Regina swallowed, tying the braid to the side and turning to face her mother.

 

“I thought we had rid ourselves of her disagreeable companionship.”

 

“Mother, what are you talking about?”

 

“Why is she giving you a gift?” Regina looked down, her hands gathering in her lap as she refused to answer Cora. “Did you give her a gift?”

 

“No.” Regina looked up, forcing the tears that she felt burning at the back of her eyes to stay there.

 

“I saw the way she looked at you. The way she kissed you.”

 

“Mother, it was a play.” It came out more pleading than Regina wanted it to, and she cursed her heart for beating quickly at the memory of Emma’s lips on hers. She cursed herself for wanting the kiss to be more than what it was, but she refused to let her mother know.

 

“Girls like her have,” Cora paused, tilting her head to the side as she looked at the horse on Regina’s dresser, “Expectations.”

 

I have expectations, too.”

 

Cora snapped her eyes back on her daughter, her eyes narrowing as she took in Regina’s hair and the necklace on proud display on her neck. She clenched her jaw, puffing out her chest and rising her chin as she spoke, “I’m not changing the rules.”

 

“I haven’t asked you to.” Regina didn’t back down, eyeing her mother in challenge.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma hesitantly walked in to the hospital room, a small pine tree in her hand and two gift bags in the other. She looked at the elderly man sitting on a chair, holding August’s hand. August was still in a coma, his brown hair ragged and scruff growing on his jaw.

 

Emma swallowed her fear and spoke, “For me, Christmas is all about smells.” She stepped forward, placing the small pine tree on the window ledge and the gifts on the ground before it. “Pine’s my favorite. That and cider with cloves.”

 

“Who are you?” Marco spoke, his voice gravelly, as if he hadn’t spoken in a while.

 

“I’m Emma Swan. I, uh, I was with August when-” She trailed off, but the man got it.

 

“You.”

 

“Me.” Emma nodded, looking down at her feet. She takes another deep breath before she starts, “I’m very sorry-”

 

“What kind of woman are you?”

 

“I don’t know that I am,” Emma looked up, her shoulders sagging, “A woman, I mean. Not yet, anyway. I’m still working on it.”

 

“I’ve worked in being a man my whole life.” Marco turned back to August, “You have to. When you have kids.”

 

Emma nodded, looking at him.

 

“You still jumped in after him.”

 

“Yes, I did.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Sir?”

 

“Why did you jump? Why did you go after him, when you could’ve left him to die.”

 

“I couldn’t.” Emma stepped forward, “Letting him die wasn’t an option. I just. I just couldn’t.”

 

Marco turned to her, tears in his eyes as he nodded towards a chair, “Sit for a while.”

 

Emma smiled softly, obeying him silently.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma crossed her arms, staring down the salesman in the suit in front of her.

 

“Eight hundred.” He smirks, eyeing the blonde up and down with a leer.

 

“It has a new 1600 cc H4 engine and transmission. Special 5.5 in wide sport wheels fitted with 175/70-15 Pirelli Cinturato CN36 high-performance radial tires.” Emma eyed the man in front of her, smirking at his lost look as he looked at her. “Twelve hundred.”

 

“Nine-fifty.”

 

“New Paint. Extra chrome. Not a scratch anywhere.”

 

“The interior is-”

 

“Reconditioned. Completely. Corduroy and leatherette high-bolstered sport seats. It’ll be a collector’s someday. Twelve hundred.” They looked at the Yellow Beetle glittering in the sun.

 

“You can’t expect me to pay you for your- attachment to that car.”

 

“I don’t.” Emma made a pointed look at another car dealership, raising her eyebrow in challenge as she looked back at the salesman with a threatening smirk, her eyes dark. “I expect you to pay me for yours.”

 

The man looked from Emma to the car, considering his options before he pulled out a wad of cash, counting out twelve hundred and handing it out reluctantly to the blonde. Emma turns, pocketing the cash. She gingerly touches the hood of the Beetle, her tears starting to water, before she walked away.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma burst into the Principal’s Office, startling Mr. Gold who was peering over papers at his desk.

 

“Ms. Swan?”

 

Emma set down the folded wad of hundreds on his desk. “For the Horse Rescue Ranch. For their repairs.”

 

Principal Gold narrowed his eyes, glaring at the blonde in suspicion. “Where did you get-?”

 

Emma crossed her arms, narrowing her own eyes in challenge as her voice strained in anger. “It’s mine to give. I didn’t steal it.”

 

“I didn’t say you did.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes, storming out of the office. Mr. Gold looks down at the money curiously before he turns to the window to see Emma get on a bike and pedal away.

 

xXxXxXx

 

The next day, Emma was watching as a tow truck lowers an abandoned Yugo at the foot of the repair shop. She looks to see Regina walking up to her, a small smile on her face and the necklace proudly on display. Emma let her eyes drift down to admire the necklace before meeting Regina’s playful look.

 

“Hey.” Emma smiled.

 

“Hey yourself.” Regina raised an eyebrow, amused. “I heard what you did. Thank you.”

 

Emma nods, her eyes turning back to the car. “Isn’t she beautiful or what? She doesn’t seem like much now, but I’m planning on fixing her up.”

 

“Why are you doing all of this? To impress me?”

 

“No.” Emma turned back to look at her, taking in her low cut black shirt, bright red suede jacket, and black pants, “But are you? Impressed?”

 

Regina smiled, her eyes softening as she took in the blonde in front of her. “Like fire.”

 

“What?”

 

“You.” Regina leaned up to plant a gentle kiss on Emma’s cheek, breathing in her scent of chocolate and cinnamon. When she pulled away, she couldn’t help the smirk at seeing Emma with her jaw dropped and brow furrowed as she tried to process what was happening. The brunette turned and walked off to her Mercedes, snapping Emma out of her stupor.

 

“New Year’s Eve!” She called out, “Would you go out with me?”

 

Regina froze in her tracks, her heart picking up speed in her chest as she turned to face Emma’s hopeful look. “Yes. But not as a date date.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“I’m not allowed to date.” With that Regina got in her car and drove off.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma followed the signs in City Hall towards Mayor Mills’ office. She watched as the older lady stared down at a couple of documents with a scowl, taking off her glasses and rubbing at the bridge of her nose in frustration. Emma knocks on the door and at Cora’s glare, she opens the door, walks in, and takes a seat.

 

“Madame Mayor. Can I ask you something?” Emma smiles politely, swallowing her nervousness and sitting up straight in the chair.

 

“Does it have something to do with Regina?”

 

“Yes, Ma’am.”

 

Cora raises her eyebrow in curiosity. She makes a motion with her hand for Emma to continue.

 

“I’d like to take Regina to dinner on New Year’s Eve.”

 

“That’s not going to happen.” Cora rolls her eyes, going back to her papers as a way to tell the blonde to go away.

 

“I’m sorry I haven’t always treated Regina the way that I should have,” Emma continued, refusing to let that end like it did. She met Cora’s eyes determinedly, “She deserves better.”

 

“Yes, she does.”

 

“I care for her.”

 

“I don’t want to see her hurt.”

 

“I wouldn’t do that-”

 

“This week.”

 

“Ever again.”

 

Cora pursed her lips, looking out at the grey, cold morning. Her eyes flicker back and forth as she considers her options before she turns to her papers. She refuses to meet the blonde’s eyes as she spoke above a whisper, “Have her home by one. And drive carefully.”

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is a bit shorter than usual, I wanted to keep the date in its own little bubble of happiness... The next chapters are going to be back to its original length :)

Emma and Regina sat on the balcony of a small seafood restaurant. The small building was built to be cozy and quaint, the darkness of the wood contrasting with the warm reds and bright whites of the tablecloths and napkins. Overhead were faerie lights wrapped around the beams and the handrails, making the night glow in a soft light. The sky was a clear dark blue, with stars twinkling around a crescent moon. Regina was dressed in a navy blue dress, with a low cut, a choker, and royal blue sleeves. Her hair fell down in soft waves to the side. Emma was wearing a form fitting red dress, a black leather jacket draped over the back of her chair, her blonde hair falling down in cascades over her shoulders. Regina looked up from her menu to take in Emma’s appearance, a small smile spreading on her lips.

 

“I can’t believe you asked for my mother’s permission.” Regina spoke, looking into the blonde’s playful green eyes.

 

Emma smirked, “I wanted this to be a date.”

 

Regina’s smile grew, before she looked down at her menu, going over the puzzle that is Emma Swan in her head. By the time dinner arrived, Emma was wolfing down her food, eating as quickly as she could. The brunette watched the scene with an eyebrow raised, amused.

 

“Is there a rush?”

 

“I have to get you home by one.”

 

“It’s only 7:30.”

 

“We’re going somewhere. After.” Emma winked at Regina, smiling wide, “And no. I didn’t ask your mother.”

 

xXxXxXx

 

Inside the Yugo, Emma drives down the streets with one hand on the wheel and the other draped loosely on the stick shift. Regina fiddles with the radio, looking for a station that she tolerates when Emma burps loudly and dramatically.

 

Regina raises an eyebrow at the blonde, looking at her with amusement. “Excuse you.”

 

“Your turn.”

 

“I think not!” Regina chuckled softly, rolling her eyes at Emma’s smile.

 

“Come on, you know you want to.”

 

Regina tries, giving out a small burp. Emma laughs at that one, taking Regina’s hand in hers on the stick shift.

 

“Bring the air all the way up from your stomach.”

 

Emma burps again, just as loud as the first time. Regina tries again and squeaks, sending both girls into a giggling fit.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

They arrive at a family entertainment center. A miniature golf course looms over the distance, with a castle shaped arcade to the right, and a little league diamond to the left. Regina furrows her brow, taking a look at her surroundings before turning to Emma in a questioning gaze.

 

“Before we do this-” Emma started, smiling shyly at her.

 

“We’re doing something?” Regina interrupted, smirking. She made a note of the slight blush to Emma’s cheeks.

 

“ _ Before we do this _ ,” Emma looked at Regina determined, “I just want to say that a good life’s gotta be more than just achieving stuff. Like on your list. It’s about working with what you already have. Right now. At your fingertips. You know, spontaneously.”

 

“Emma, dear, what are you talking about?”

 

“That bit of larceny in your heart.”

 

“Excuse me, Ms. Swan?”

 

“Fun.”

 

Emma grinned at the brunette, taking her hand and leading the brunette to the little league diamond. She strapped a helmet on Regina’s head and sent her to the batting cage with a bat and a short pat on her butt. Regina turned to glare at the blonde for that action, choosing to ignore the burning on her cheeks. Emma blew a kiss to her before turning towards the ball machine and turned it on with a roar, watching it warm up and start shooting balls at Regina who dodged and squealed as the balls flew towards her.

 

“Swing!” Emma called out, walking towards the fence where Regina was close to. “Keep the bat parallel to the ground. Follow through. Follow through!”

 

Regina tries to swing and misses a ball as it slams loudly into the fence behind her. Her shoulders are shaking as she fails in containing her laughter, adding to her inability to hit another ball. She looks to Emma, seeing her grin and cackles, dodging out of the way of a ball and leaning into the fence towards Emma. Emma wraps her fingers over Regina’s through the fence, resting her forehead against the brunette’s as their laughter and breaths mingle between them.

 

“Let’s go,” The blonde rolls her eyes, looking at her companion amused.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

While Emma drove through the rarely used street that bypassed a forest, heading towards the state line, Regina fiddled with the necklace, bringing it close to her lips before pulling it back down to her waiting hand. The blonde reached over, taking the brunette’s hand in hers and rubbing her knuckles tenderly.

 

“The cells in our bodies are always changing.” Emma spoke, startling Regina. She gave her a quick glance and comforting smile before she turned back to the road, “In six or seven years all your cells have changed. You could be like a completely new person from the inside out.”

 

“That’s what’s happening to you, only faster?”

 

Emma only grinned, pulling over and stopping the car, leaving the headlights on. She turned fully towards Regina, taking her hand in both of hers and smiling wide. “Get out. Come on.”

 

Emma almost skipped onto the road, pulling Regina over to a white line that separates Maine with New Hampshire.

 

“Emma!”

 

“Sh!”

 

Regina rolls her eyes at the blonde tugging her forward, “What are we doing?”

 

“Shhh!” Emma pushes Regina towards the line, “Stand here.”

 

“Where?”

 

Emma leans down, repositioning one of Regina’s foot onto Maine territory and putting her other foot in New Hampshire territory. As she looks up at the giggling brunette, her eyes land on huge deep bruises on Regina’s thighs. Emma’s brow furrowed in concern, and upon noticing it, Regina pulled her dress down further, covering the bruises from Emma’s gaze. The brunette took a deep breath when green eyes sought out brown, and she could see the questions swimming in Emma’s eyes.

 

“You’re acting like a crazy person.” Regina looked up to the sky, willing her tears to go away from where they were gathering in her eyes, feeling her heart thunder in her chest.

 

“You’re straddling the state line.” Emma cleared her throat, deciding to put a pin in that conversation, much to the relief of the brunette. She took the bait and continued, plastering a confident smile on her face. “You’re in two places at once.”

 

Regina froze, slowly moving her head down to take in Emma’s smirk. The brunette took a second to process the blonde’s words, making sure she was understanding clearly. The tears came back and this time she didn’t stop them as she ran forward, jumping into Emma’s arms in a collapsing hug. Emma’s chuckle reverberated in Regina’s ears, and the brunette could feel the blonde’s chest quivering as she laughed lowly.

 

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina, holding her close. She placed a soft kiss on the top of the brunette’s head, sending a wave of warmth over Regina.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma lead Regina down the boardwalk. The night sky was clear, piercing blackness littered with dozens of stars around a bright half moon. The ocean was rippling peacefully, the waves reflecting the heavens above, glittering like diamonds in the darkness. In the distance, a boat was light up, giving the two girls a hint of where the sky stopped and the sea began. Regina shivered, wrapping her arms around her in an attempt to stay warm. Emma removed her red leather jacket and without hesitation wrapped it around Regina who blushed at the action.

 

“Aren’t you going to be-”

 

Emma shook her head, smiling wide. Regina nodded softly, sliding her arms into the sleeves and pulling the jacket closed around her, breathing in Emma’s scent with a small smile. She leaned towards the blonde, setting her head on Emma’s shoulder, who wrapped her arms around Regina, pulling her closer.

 

“It’s moment like these that remind me that I’m not alone.” Regina spoke, her free hand going up to wrap around her necklace. “In the moments of silence, of happiness, I can feel my father watching over me.”

 

“You think so?”

 

“I know so.”

 

Emma looked out at the boat in the distance, watching them shoot small fireworks out into sea. Regina smiled as the wind blew against her face, riffling through her and Emma’s hair.

 

“It’s like the wind. I can’t see it, but I can feel it.”

 

Emma closes her eyes to feel the wind, taking a deep breath and letting it fill in her lungs. Goosebumps run through her skin as a shiver slides down her back. A frown crawls onto her face as she opens her eyes again, glaring at the boat in the distance. “We can measure the wind.”

 

“Uncertainty makes you uncomfortable.”

 

“When you were growing up with your father,” Emma bit down at her bottom lip, her eyes starting to glitter and her voice tightening, “What was it like? What did you feel?”

 

“Wonder, safety, beauty, joy.” Regina trailed off, whispering the next word as if it was a secret, her voice trembling, “Love.”

 

Emma pulled Regina closer as the brunette turned towards the blonde, nestling herself against her chest. Emma looked down at Regina’s tearful eyes, a mirror of her own, and smiled softly. The blonde lifted a hand up to cup the brunette’s cheek, her thumb tenderly rubbing against her cheekbone. “I might kiss you.”

 

“I might do it wrong.”

 

“Not possible,” Emma smiled encouragingly at her, her eyes flickering to Regina’s full lips before snapping back at her wide brown eyes. She let her thumb trace the brunette’s lips before slipping her hand to the back of her head and pulled the brunette closer, Emma’s lips pressing against Regina’s tenderly. Regina took in a sharp breath, her arms slipping up to wrap around Emma’s neck and pull her closer. Emma pulled away, resting her forehead against the brunette’s, green eyes trying to read the emotions flickering through the tearfully wide chocolate brown looking back.

 

“I love you, Regina.”

 

Regina took a step back, tears falling down her cheeks. Emma noticed happiness and sadness fighting for dominance in her eyes. The brunette looked away, looking out into the night sky, and when she looked back, Emma noticed that her eyes were now unreadable, something darkening her gaze. The blonde smiled softly at her, taking a deep breath and steeling herself for the upcoming rejection. Regina noticed the shift in Emma’s eyes and quickly stepped forward, shutting Emma up with a kiss before pulling away slightly.

 

“You make me feel,” Regina trailed off, her eyes fluttering back and forth, searching for the right words.

 

“Loved?” Emma supplied, her heart hammering in her chest as she cursed herself for sounding so hopeful.

 

“That,” Regina smiled, caressing Emma’s cheek. “And less strange.”

 

Emma wiped away the tears that were still running down Regina’s cheeks, pulling her back in for a kiss. Emma ran the tip of her tongue against the brunette’s bottom lip, asking for permission, which Regina gladly gave. Their kiss was slow, exploring everything the other had to offer.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma followed Regina up her porch, peeking into the living room window. Cora was walking around, a wine glass in her hand as she was in the process of removing the christmas tree, packing up the ornaments in plastic boxes. Regina shushed Emma who was in the process of tickling the brunette.

 

“ _ Emma. _ ” Regina whisper shouted, pulling away with a giggle.

 

Emma pulled Regina in by her waist, capturing her lips in a tender kiss. Reluctantly pulling away when the front door opened and Cora stepped out into the night. Emma left her arm around Regina’s shoulder as she felt the brunette stiffen her back. Cora eyed the two with disdain, her eyes landing on the blonde in a vicious glare.

 

“Hello, Ms. Swan.” She sneered, placing her hands on her hips as she regarded Emma’s cocky grin.

 

“Madam mayor.” Emma placed a soft kiss on Regina’s temple, earning a tender smile when Regina turned to face her, her chocolate eyes softening as she stared into her emerald ones. Emma looked at the older brunette, taking in her dark blood red, floor length, dress and piercing eyes. The blonde leaned into Regina, feeling her tense under her mother’s scrutiny, her face clouding over.

 

“Happy New Year,” Emma whispered to the brunette, kissing her lips gently, before she pulled away, winked at her and left.

 

Regina flustered, her cheeks redding as she tried to fight the smile that refused to leave her lips. She watched Emma strut to her car and drive away with an amused smirk before she forced a blank look on her face, straightened her back and walked inside without a word. The brunette could feel Cora’s glare on her back, and an involuntary shiver ran through her spine, but she stiffened and continued on her path to her room. As she laid in her bed, her fingers fiddling with the pendant of her necklace, she thought back on tonight and a wide grin spread itself on her lips. She traced her bottom lip, feeling it still tingle from Emma’s warmth.

 

Cora looked at where Regina disappeared, downing her wine glass and setting it down with a resounding clink on the table. She grabbed a couple of ornaments from the tree and threw it into the fireplace, watching them explode and burn into ash.

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

Emma waited by the edge of the courtyard before school, waiting for a certain brunette to walk out of her car. Regina strolled up to the blonde, Emma’s bright red leather jacket worn proudly by the smirking brunette. Regina wore her hair in a loose braid tied by a bright blue ribbon, her necklace glinting in the early morning sunlight. The blonde shook her head, amused at Regina’s statement, and chuckled softly, pulling her close by the jacket and claiming her lips in a possessive kiss.

 

Regina pulled away, a smile playing on her lips as she rested her forehead against Emma’s. “Missed me?”

 

“Immensely.” Emma pecked her lips, rubbing the tip of her nose against Regina’s. The blonde turned, wrapping her arm over smaller brunette’s shoulders and walking into the building, past a glaring and scowling Killian on the steps.

 

Emma walked with Regina until they reached the blonde’s locker, only to find it kicked in with a post-it note screaming “FAG” in blocky black letters. Emma removed the note, ripping it to shreds and letting the pieces fall to the floor in clumps. She growled, glaring at the huge dent in her locker.

 

“Asshole,” Emma rolled her eyes, turning to Regina, “Does this happen to you?”

 

Regina nodded so softly, it was almost missed, “Twice a year.”

 

Emma scowled, turning to the other lockers and kicked and punched every locker in her row, a dozen in all. Regina took a step back, her eyes going wide and tearful at Emma’s anger. When the blonde finished, she raised her bloody fist to her lips and turned to smile lopsidedly at Regina. “Now they all match.”

 

Regina let a small chuckle escape as she rolled her eyes, stepping forward to examine Emma’s fist. “You idiot.”

 

“I may be an idiot, but I’m  _ your _ idiot.”

 

Regina planted a soft kiss on one of Emma’s cracked knuckles, earning a hiss of pain from the blonde. Regina brushed a strand of Emma’s hair behind her ear, kissing her sweetly. “Let’s get this hand bandaged before you do something else equally stupid.”

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma was sitting at lunch with Ruby and Dorothy, talking softly and smiling at each other in a comfort. Emma’s right hand was wrapped up in bandages, the only evidence of the act of bravado she committed. Regina took the time to watch Emma, see the lopsided smile she loves, that goofy grin spreading into a wide smile at something Ruby told her, her green soulful eyes lighting up. The blonde had her hair tied back in a loose ponytail, white shirt, black pants and jacket. Regina hesitated, she didn’t want to break up the happiness from her group, she didn’t feel as if Ruby or Dorothy might accept her. She straightened her back and almost turned away when Emma’s eyes looked up at her, and the brunette felt a wave of warmth wash over her at the tender smile. Emma waved her over, scooting down her chair to make room for her.

 

Regina took a deep breath, preparing herself for the worst as she slid in next to Emma, smiling politely at the two brunettes in front of her.

 

Dorothy gave her a sweet smile, going back to the textbook opened in front of her. Ruby looked her up and down, her face set in a serious tone before her dark brown eyes landed on Regina’s in a challenge. Regina refused to back down, staring at the girl in front of her, a brow raised in amusement.

 

“Ruby, chill,” Emma admonished the brunette in a red barrett, “She’s with me.”

 

Ruby looked away, meeting Emma’s eyes before going back to Regina, “If you hurt her, you’ll have to answer to me.”

 

Dorothy rolled her eyes, smiling up at Regina sheepishly, “Forgive her, Ruby was there when Emma had-” She trailed off at Emma’s glare, going back down to her book in silence.

 

Emma sighed, standing up and stretching her hand down to Regina to help her up. “Come on.”

 

“Where?”

 

“Away from here.”

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma led Regina up the winding steps of a lighthouse, pulling the heavy wooden door open for the brunette to walk through. Regina looked around, the ocean was crystal clear, lapping peacefully against the white sand. The sky was a powdery blue, not a single cloud in the sky. Regina walked towards the handrails, leaning out to the sight, letting herself get lost in the horizon. Emma rested with her back to the view, leaning up against the bar and watching the peaceful expression on the brunette’s face with a satisfied smirk. Regina turns to look at her, raising her eyebrow, before placing a soft kiss on Emma’s lips.

 

“How do you know of this place?” Regina whispered to her lips, her eyes searching Emma’s worriedly, wondering if her question might cause the blonde to run or shut down.

 

“I came here a lot,” Emma turned to face the sea, her eyes clouding, “The owner was sweet. He was elderly, so I used to help him clean the lenses until he passed away.”

 

Regina furrowed her brow, lopping her arm around Emma’s and resting her chin on her shoulder. The brunette let her silent warmth comfort the blonde and encourage her to continue.

 

“I first ran here when I came out of the closet. Mary Margaret and David kicked me out and Eric, the owner, he let me stay here. Later, I used to come here, just to clear my head, figure out what I’m doing with myself. I was here when I met Neal. I was so desperate to be that ‘perfect daughter’ that they wanted, I let him talk me into some shit.”

 

Emma cleared her throat, wiping at traitorous tears that were falling down her cheeks. Regina rubbed her back, squeezing the blonde to her side.

 

“You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to.” Regina spoke up when the silence continued.

 

“No, you need to hear it.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Not really, but it wouldn’t be fair to you otherwise.” Emma looked at her then and her green eyes were light and soft, tears falling haphazardly onto reddened cheeks. “He knocked me up. When I told him, he skipped town. By then, everything was messed up, and Mary Margaret and David took me back in and were trying to be supportive but I didn’t know what was up or down. I had no one to understand at the time, my adoptive parents tried, but they couldn’t even accept me, much less understand me. Ruby helped, but she didn’t know everything. I ended up carrying to term and giving the kid up for the same system that I went through and hated. I promised myself when I was younger that I would never be like my birth parents, but I did.”

 

“Have you searched for him or her?”

 

“Everyday. He’s in an orphanage. I’m scared of going up to him, having him hate me, resent me. And he should.”

 

“Emma.”

 

“No,” The word came out cracked, a soft pleading. “Please.”

 

“How old is he?”

 

“Almost a two. Old enough to know who his mom is. Old enough to know that I’m not worthy of him.”

 

Regina wrapped her arms around the blonde, pulling her close and nestling her head in the crook of Emma’s neck. Emma breathed slowly, trying to control her rapid heart and the dull ache as if it was being squeezed out of her chest. She focused on the gentle lull of Regina’s breathing, the steady beat of her heart, the calming scent of lilacs and apples.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

A few days later, Emma walked up to Regina, who was waiting for her outside the cemetery. Regina was wearing Emma’s jacket again, standing up on her toes to wrap her arms around Emma’s neck to kiss her. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina’s waist, pulling her close.

 

“What’d you tell your mother?”

 

“The truth,” Regina smirked, pecking her lips once more before she turned towards the gate, “I just left you out of it.”

 

Regina climbed up and over the wall, Emma following suit. Once they reached their spot, they started to set up. Emma watched curiously as Regina fits the pieces of her telescope together.

 

“When did you build this?”

 

“I was twelve.” Regina looked up to see Emma looking at her, amazed. She lets a smirk form on her lips as she continued, “It’s not  _ that _ complicated. It’s an alt-azimuth design with one parabolic mirror and one secondary flat one.”

 

“Where’s the one you’re building?”

 

“In my backyard.” Regina’s hands stilled as she kept her eyes on her telescope. She used her loose hair to hide the blush that was burning its way up to her cheeks. “I uh, I lied before. It’s hardly started. But when it’s done, it will have twice the power of this one-”

 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Emma interrupted, a smile breaking out on her face, “Hold up. _You_ _lied_?”

 

“Kinda, yeah.” Regina cleared her throat, finishing the telescope and setting up, “So, what do you want to see?”

 

“Mars.”

 

“Mars doesn’t rise till 2:30am.”

 

Emma opens her backpack, pulling out the contents as she speaks, “A thermos of super duper hot coffee. A blanket. A pair of great big fuzzy socks.”

 

“You planned this.”

 

“Hoped for it.”

 

“You little sneak!” Regina looked as Emma set up her blanket, sitting down comfortably. She couldn’t help the smirk as she checked out Emma’s body. She finally registered the one blanket, raising her eyebrow and narrowing her eyes at the blonde, “Are you trying to seduce me?”

 

“No.” Emma smirked, raising an eyebrow, “Why? Are you seducible?”

 

Regina shook her head slowly, firm but smiling, “No, Ms. Swan, I’m not.”

 

“Hmm,” Emma hummed, mocking a thinking movement as her hand reached into the backpack. Emma pulled out another blanket, much to Regina’s delight, and slight disappointment. “That’s what I thought. That’s why I brought another blanket. One for me, one for you.”

 

Regina draped the blanket on the ground, setting it right next to Emma’s before she went to position her telescope. Emma got up with a huff, standing beside Regina as she tilted her head up to the sky.

 

“Where’s Pluto?” The blonde asked, turning to look at the brunette, who was staring pensively into the eyepiece.

 

“In Virgo, but it’s about 1,000 times too faint to see.”

 

“What’s the best thing I can see tonight?”

 

“Me.” Regina smirks as Emma chuckles softly, pulling the brunette in by her hips to claim her lips in a kiss. Regina breaks the kiss, resting her forehead against the blonde’s as she smiles easily. “The second best thing is Jupiter.”

 

Emma pulls away, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. She picks up the flashlight and turns it on, piering into the glowing paper. “Can you locate XXI5639I?”

 

“Sure.” Regina took the diagram, adjusting her telescope accordingly. Once she located the star, she looked through, looking at the red blinking dot. “Why am I looking at this star?”

 

“Because I had it named after you. I know it’s not an official designation,” Emma’s next words are cut off from Regina jumping into Emma’s arms, kissing her with everything she had.

 

“It’s perfect. I love you.”

 

Emma tears up, smiling wide and happy. She pulled Regina back, claiming her lips in a feverish kiss. Eventually, Regina started to push at Emma’s shoulders, breaking the kiss with a soft chuckle. Emma took a step back, respecting her boundaries with a smile. “Okay, I’m stopping.”

 

Emma sits down on her blanket, Regina sits in Emma’s lap, her back to the blonde’s front. She rested back, her head sitting comfortably on Emma’s shoulder as Emma’s arms looped around the brunette’s body to hold her close. They sit in peaceful silence, enjoying the night sounds and their evenly matched breathings.

 

“What’s number one?” Emma whispers, not wanting to break the peace.

 

“In April, when the dogwoods and wisteria are blooming.” Regina paused, her hand finding Emma’s and interlocking their fingers. She spoke in a whisper, shy, “Get married.”

 

Emma smiles, rubbing her nose in Regina’s neck before planting a soft kiss, and then another on her temple.

  
  



	11. Chapter 11

Emma entered the backdoor into the kitchen at 5am, fumbling around in the dark and banging her shin on a low corner of a table. She hopped on one foot, biting down on her knuckles to keep from cursing out at the pain when the lights snapped on, Mary Margaret was standing at the doorway, peering at Emma. Her hair was tousled, sticking up around haphazardly.

 

“Emma?” She whispered, her voice raw from sleep, “A late night or early morning?”

 

“Late night.” Emma rubbed the forming bruise on her leg before she set it down, looking up at Mary Margaret and meeting her searching gaze, “You?”

 

“Were you with Regina?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“You sleeping with her?” At Emma’s soft huff and eyeroll, Mary Margaret stuck her hand in her pocket, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. “I was cleaning yesterday. I found this.”

 

Mary Margaret unfolded the paper and waved it at Emma before turning it to read it over again. It was a half finished list that Emma wrote, a list similar to Regina’s. Emma’s face goes white as she eyed the white paper in the older brunette’s hands. “Scuba Dive. Touch a moon rock. Learn to read Egyptian hieroglyphs. Be worthy of Henry. Go to college. Does Regina talk to you about this stuff?”

 

Emma shut her eyes, her heart beating frantically. She could feel her head start to lower in embarrassment but she kept her head held high. Mary Margaret had that tone that held incredulity, that high condescending tone told Emma she was nothing and could achieve nothing.

 

“Honey,” She continued, setting the paper down at the table, “Some of this is,” She paused, furrowing her brow as she searched for the right word, eventually settling for “Farfetched. You have great people skills and common sense. That lie detector you always say you have. Noble intentions, hell even heroic. Good, dependable qualities.”

 

“I can be more than that.”

 

“You are. You’re beautiful and charming.”

 

“I can be smart. I could be a doctor. Save people.”

 

“That’s eight years of school and training. After college. Years in student debt. And all of that doesn’t necessarily make you a better human being.”

 

“I can do it if I tried.”

 

“That’d be something.” Mary Margaret sighed, tilting her head to look at the blonde in front of her. “But if it doesn’t happen, grab for something within reach. Life’s tough without causing yourself disappointment.”

 

“You think I don’t know about disappointments in life? My whole  _ existence _ is a disappointment. I’m trying, Mary Margaret. I’m trying to be better for Regina. For myself.” Emma whispered the next word as tears prickled in her eyes, “ _ For Henry. _ They deserve better. I deserve to be better. I shouldn’t let my past mess me up like this and it took me way too long to figure this out.”

 

“Have I told you how proud I am of you?”

 

“That’s great.” Emma sighed, wiping at her eyes and keeping her voice low, “But what I want is for me to be proud of me. To look in the mirror and not be ashamed of who I see staring back at me.”

 

After a moment of silence as they looked in different areas of the kitchen to avoid meeting each other’s eyes, Mary Margaret speaks up, her voice soft and hopeful, “Who’s Henry?”

 

Emma gritted her teeth, her hands clenched in fists as she fought away the tears. “He’s my son.”

 

“You looked for him?”

 

“Since day one.”

 

“Oh. Has he been-?”

 

“No.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“So am I.”

  
  


xXxXxXx

  
  


Emma was having a quiet dinner with Regina and Cora. Cora was sitting at the head of the dark oak table, her posture regal and her eyes taking in the blonde with disdain. Regina sat to the left of Cora, she kept her back straight and her eyes downcast as she ate in silence. Emma was sitting across from her, her shoulders slumped and her mind elsewhere. She was eating in silence, sending small encouraging smiles at Regina when their eyes met.

 

“Emma,” Cora spoke after a while, “You’re not the quiet type.”

 

“Nope.”

 

“So talk to us about something?”

 

“Like what?”

 

“You decide.” At Emma’s faroff look, Cora rolled her eyes, picked up the cloth napkin on her lap to dap at the corners of her mouth. “How about your time as an orphan?”

 

Regina flinched, but Emma had a polite smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. The young brunette watched as the blonde steeled herself.

 

“I was in this foster house until I was four and they decided to have a child of their own, so they sent me back. After that, I bounced around from home to home, was in the hospital more times than I can count, and ran away so often that I knew the names of the sheriffs of whichever town I lived in. Eventually, I got taken in by Mary Margaret and David in middle school, but by then, the damage was done.”

 

Cora looked at Regina, who was watching Emma with watery eyes.

 

“There was this one home that I stayed in, the man was a paranoid schizophrenic who refused to take his meds. He had episodes where he believed he was this big time cop with his wife, so there were nights when we had to go out to random places and describe the ‘crime scenes’ and if we went against his hallucinations, he got violent.”

 

“Were you ever sexually assaulted in any of those homes?” Regina gaped at Cora’s question, looking at Emma apologetically. Emma smiled at Regina before turning to Cora.

 

“I tried to run away before it ever got to that. Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn’t.”

 

“I’m- I’m sorry. How did. How did you manage to keep yourself safe?”

 

“Physically or mentally?”

 

“Either. Both.”

 

“Considering no one listened to what I had to say, I learned to rely on myself. I managed, focused on staying alive, on getting away. Eventually I did, and I was able to rely on someone else other than myself.”

 

“Mary Margaret and David?”

 

Emma hesitated, looking down at her plate before meeting Cora’s eyes. “For a while, yes.”

 

Cora nodded softly, her eyes softening as she took in the young blonde in front of her. She let a soft smile graced her lips before she turned to her now empty plate.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Once Emma had left, Cora was washing the dishes while Regina was cleaning up around the kitchen. The older woman was frowning in concentration, her lips pursed. Her eyes never left the dish in her hands as she spoke up, “You and that Swan girl. Want to catch me up on the recent developments?”

 

“You’re asking if we’re involved?”

 

“I’m asking how much.”

 

“Mother-”

 

“It’s time to tell her.” Cora interrupted, placing the dish on the drying rack and turning off the faucet. “It would be the right thing to do.”

 

“Maybe.” Regina threw the napkin to the other side of the room, turning to face her mother, her eyes narrowed in a challenging glare aimed at the back of Cora’s head. “But that’s not the real reason. You think if I tell, she’ll disappear and that’s what you want! Me all alone, to yourself!”

 

Cora grabbed a towel, drying her hands as she slowly turned around to face her. “No, Regina. I want what’s best for you. I want you to be happy.”

 

“This… Her… Emma… She’s what’s best for me!” Regina pushed back the tears threatening to fall, “She makes me happy. Happier than I ever thought I could be again.”

 

“You’re sure? You’re so damn sure you can trust her? An orphan? A lost, scared, girl that runs whenever she sees danger or trouble on the horizon?” At Regina’s hesitation, Cora smirked, taking a step forward and brushing Regina’s hair off of her shoulders, kissing her forehead. “Isn’t it better to know?”

 

Regina meets her eyes, waiting a heartbeat before pushing away and rushing to her room.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma was driving them to the fair, her posture relaxed as her spare hand reached over, taking Regina’s over the stickshift. She felt Regina’s heartbeat racing under the skin of her wrist. The blonde noticed that she was tense, her face screwed up into a frown.

 

“Are you worried about your college applications?” Emma spoke, trying to get to the bottom of why Regina was so upset. Regina let go of Emma’s hand to turn off the radio.

 

“I’m not applying to college.”

 

“But you said-”

 

“No, you assumed.”

 

Emma stopped at a red light and turned to look at her, but Regina was looking out the window. Regina had gathered her hands in her lap, twisting and fidgeting before they moved upwards to fidget with her necklace. Emma frowned, turning her attention back to driving. “Are you going to take a year off? Join the Peace Corps?”

 

“No.”

 

“What are you going to-?”

 

“Pull over,” Regina interrupted, breathing heavily. Her hands flew to the door handle, waiting for Emma to stop.

 

“Where? Why?”

 

“Pull over. Now, Emma. Please.” Regina’s voice broke, and Emma noticed tears in her eyes. She pulled over and Regina flies out of the car, walking to the border of the trees. Emma ran out of her car, walking after the brunette.

 

“Regina.”

 

“I’m sick.”

 

“Then I’ll take you home. You’ll feel better tomorrow.” Emma took a step closer, reaching out to touch Regina’s arm, but she turned to face the blonde, tears running hotly down her cheeks. The brunette took a step back, swallowing thickly as she fought off another sob.

 

“Em-ma.” Regina whispered, looking at her sadly, “I’m sick. With Leukemia.”

 

Emma opened her mouth to talk, but nothing came out. Still she tried, opening and closing her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes. Emma took another step forward, but Regina two steps back, putting distance between herself and the blonde in front of her. The brunette looked down, avoiding Emma’s piercing green eyes that were reflecting the pain and anguish she tried hard not to feel.

 

“I found out last winter.” Regina continued, “I’m not responding to the treatment anymore.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“The doctors said to do everything the same as long as possible.” Regina paused, swallowing through the lump in her throat, “I didn’t want anyone being… weird around me.”

 

“Including me?”

 

Regina snapped her head up, her voice crackling as she pushed out, “Especially you!” She let out a sarcastic laugh, her bottom lip quivering, as she reached up to messily wipe away her tears with the back of her hand. “I get sick, and the universe brings me to you. A cruel fucking joke.”

 

Regina gets in the car, slamming her door. Emma stands there frozen as she looks at where Regina stood. Her heart thundered in her chest, her ears were ringing. She tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to her. She felt numb.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma pulled up at Regina’s house, the car ride was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Regina sat in her seat for a while, closing her eyes as she tried to commit the blonde to memory, afraid of never seeing her again. Emma, however, turned in her seat, looking at the brunette with determination.

 

“I’m not letting you die, Regina.”

 

Regina let out a sound that felt a mix of a sob and a laugh. She turned to the blonde at her side, looking at her with pity. “What you want doesn’t matter, Emma. There’s nothing you can do.”

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma was drinking coffee with Cora, Regina had long since gone to bed. The blonde was glaring into her mug, chewing on her bottom lip as she thought. The older brunette watched her with a sneer, her eyes light with joy at the pain reflecting in Emma’s green soulful eyes.

 

“It’s her decision and she’s decided not to tell people,” Cora spoke, startling Emma out of her pensiveness, “At least for now.”

 

“How long does she have?” Emma whispered, both wanting and not wanting to know the answer.

 

“Two, three months. Maybe less. Maybe more.”

 

“So you’ve given up.” Emma snapped her eyes to meet the brunette’s almond eyes. She glared at her in challenge, her jaw clenching as she stared at the woman in front of her.

 

“Her doctors have. Regina and I, we’ve been cherishing the moments we have left. Praying for a miracle.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes, slamming her mug on the table, “Yeah, well, when someone answers your prayers let me know. I’m going to find a way to save her, without begging the flying spaghetti monster for help.”

 

“Ms. Swan. We’ve lived with this for over a year now and-”

 

“And you’ve given up! It’s not just her doctors, you’ve given up on her. Well, I’m not. I’m going to find a way to fight this, even if I die along with her.” Emma slammed the front door closed behind her, storming off to her car.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma drove as fast as she could, only slowing down when her sobs choked her and her tears blurred her vision to the point where she couldn’t see the road. The steady roar of the motor and the squeal of her tires was the only noise that accompanied her. She turned into a mansion’s driveway at 3:14 a.m., glaring at the white building in front of her. She got out, slamming her car door as she stalked up to the front door, pounding her fist on the heavy wood. She continued until her knuckles were bleeding, she growled in frustration, stalking back to her car and kicking over a planter. She was halfway back to her car when the door opened and a blond man wearing a white silk bathrobe stepped out.

 

He looked at the younger blonde in confusion, “Emma?”

 

Emma stopped, turning to face the man. Her cheeks and eyes were red and puffy, but she didn’t care. “You have to help me.”

 

“What?” He stepped out, closing the door behind him, “What changed? I thought you said you wanted nothing to do with me.”

 

“I-I don’t. Didn’t. I need your help. My girlfriend. She has leukemia.”

 

The man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t do that anymore. Not since.”

 

“Since my birth mother died, I know.” Emma glared at the man in front of her, “I figured that out since day one. But I need your help. She stopped responding to treatments, and I don’t know what to do.”

 

“What did you hope to accomplish by coming here, Emma. You know you have nothing here.”

 

Emma grit her teeth, “Ever since you abandoned me at the side of the road, I wanted nothing to do with you. Your wife died and you weren’t man enough to raise the child she left behind. You resented me, and I get it. But she had what Regina has. I hoped you knew or heard of something that could help me.”

 

“Emma, I’m a cardiologist, I’m not an oncologist.”

 

“You’re a doctor, aren’t you?”

 

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll look into it.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes, glaring at his posture. “No, you won’t.” She got back into her car, slamming the door closed and drove off, leaving the man puzzling after her. He took a step forward, before he wrapped his bathrobe closer to himself and walked back in the house.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've all been waiting for! (probably not, lol) Sorry, not sorry. Let me know what you guys think, good or bad :)


	12. Chapter 12

Emma entered the backdoor, the sun already rising in the distance. The blonde yawned, letting herself feel the weariness settling in her bones. Her stomach sunk lower, and a permanent lump was stuck in her throat. She kicked off her shoes, peeling off her red jacket, and turned on the coffee machine, resting her back against the table.

 

David walked in the kitchen wearing his sheriff outfit, his badge clipped to his belt. He looked at Emma, his hazel eyes were soft and kind. He stepped forward, smiling softly at her when he met her tired, puffy, green eyes. “A Dr. Whale called.”

 

Emma hummed in response, frowning as she turned back at the sputtering coffee machine.

 

“He said he has a friend that works at the hospital here. He’s having him look into Regina’s chart this morning.” David watched as her shoulders tensed up before shaking softly as she took in a breath. He could see she was fighting fresh tears. The blond man reached out to the coffee pot and poured Emma and himself a cup, setting it gently by the young girl. “I’m sorry, Emma. I didn’t know.”

 

“I didn’t know either.” Emma’s voice cracked, as she looked up at him. He gathered her up in his arms and she clung to his shirt, crying softly as he rocked her on his heels, rubbing her trembling back. Mary Margaret walked in through the door, pausing at the sight. She was about to speak when David shook his head softly, smiling sadly at his wife.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Regina opened the curtains, bringing light into the darkness of her room. She rubbed at her red eyes and looked down at the morning. She saw Emma pacing in front of her porch, muttering softly to herself. The blonde moved towards the door and Regina held her breath, letting it out in a disappointed huff when Emma turned and paced again. The brunette was about to open the window and shout down to the blonde, give her the words to make it okay before she takes a step back, closing the curtains. Emma has to be the one to decide, Regina needs her to decide. She needs her to be ready to face this with her. Regina closed her eyes as the sound of a car door engine drifted up to her, the tires squealing and peeling away from her. She didn’t need to look for her to know that Emma was gone.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma was lying down in her bed, wallowing in the darkness of her room. She hears the landline ringing and ignores it.

 

Mary Margaret calls up to Emma, “It’s Dr. Whale!”

 

Emma jumps up from her bed, picking up the phone. Mary Margaret put down the phone, giving Emma space as she speaks, while she cleans up around the house and makes two mugs of hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkled cinnamon. She walks upstairs to Emma’s room, waiting outside as she listened in. Hearing nothing, the older brunette nudged the door open with her foot, setting the mugs down on the bedside table. Emma was sitting on her bed, her head in her hands, her shoulders slumped over in defeat.

 

“He can’t do anything.”

 

Mary Margaret sat down next to the blonde, taking her in her arms and rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. “If it’s incurable-”

 

“I told him to never talk to me again.”

 

“Emma.”

 

“It was the only thing I ever asked him.”

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Regina sat eating dinner with Cora, her shoulders were slumped over as she slouched over her plate. She ignored Cora’s commands to straighten up, rolling her red and puffy eyes. She could feel glass shifting around where her heart should be every time she took a breath. She didn’t believe herself when she whispered, “She’ll call,” into her spoon.

 

“I wanted to think she’d changed.” Cora smirked softly, wiping away the smile when her daughter looked at her.

 

“No, you didn’t.” Regina glared at her, “She  _ did _ change. It just wasn’t enough.”

 

“Regina, you’re not mad at me. You’re mad at Emma.”

 

“I  _ am _ mad at you!” Regina slammed her hands on the table, standing up, kicking her chair back in her fury. “And at Emma! At the universe! I don’t even know where to put my anger!”

 

“That’s normal. It’s normal to be upset.”

 

“I know you did this on purpose. You want to punish me. Because you lost dad and had to deal with me. You wanted me dead, not daddy. Well, you got your damn wish. It’s just not enough isn’t it? You have to take away everything that makes me happy too, don’t you?”

 

Regina stormed off, running up the stairs and into her room. Cora sat there, shocked, before she stood, strolling up the stairs after her daughter. She peaked into the room, seeing Regina hold Henry’s old royal blue riding jacket. She was sobbing into the collar, the picture album opened up in her lap. Cora sighed, walking back down the stairs.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma sat across the kitchen table, facing Mary Margaret. They both had mugs of hot chocolate, Mary Margaret was taking in Emma’s ruffled appearance with a concerned look. She brought the cup to her lips and took a deep sip, her heart breaking at Emma’s dark circles under her eyes and vacant stare.

 

“You and I may not be communicating very well right now.” The older brunette started, reaching over to take Emma’s hand in hers in a comforting motion. Emma didn’t react, “But let me make this clear. Don’t make this about you. It’s about her.”

 

“I-” Emma blinked, her eyes focusing as the brunette’s words sunk in. “I have no idea what to say. How to act. What if I do the wrong thing?”

 

“Just be yourself, Emma. I don’t think _ there is _ a wrong thing.” She reached over and softly caressed Emma’s cheek, “Let Regina take the lead. She’ll let you know what she needs.”

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma was late, she entered the deserted halls of the school, running in a desperate path. She peeked into class after class, searching for a certain brunette. Regina watched the blonde run around from the top of the hallway. She pulled her books closer to her chest, watching her unsure. When Emma finally meets Regina’s gaze, the brunette turned away, hating the joy in Emma’s green eyes when she found her. Angry and disappointed at the blonde. Emma ran to her, getting in front of her, stopping Regina in her tracks.

 

“Regina,” Emma breaths, biting her lip as she searches for the words. “I’m so sorry. I’m a coward.”

 

“I should’ve told you sooner.”

 

“I made you do too many things, kept you up all night-”

 

“No.” Regina interrupted her, touching her arm to stop Emma from blaming herself, “The drugs just stopped working. If anything, doing things that I love kept me healthy longer.”

 

“Are you frightened?”

 

“All the time, Emma.” Regina breathed out a sarcastic laugh, looking at Emma with sad eyes. “I feel like I have no one.”

 

“You have me.” Emma pulled Regina into her arms, holding her close. She rocked her softly, comforting her and herself. Regina nestled into Emma’s arms, breathing in the blonde’s scent of chocolate and cinnamon. She pulled Emma closer, not wanting her to disappear. “You’ll always have me.”

 

“Help me live until I die?”

 

Emma’s voice and heart broke as she whispered, “I will.”

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Athena had to be taken to the vet for a check up, so Regina asked Emma if she would like to ride with her and Rocinante in the fields. Emma was hesitant to accept, but at Regina’s pleading puppy dog eyes, Emma accepted. Emma was nervously holding onto Regina, her arms clinging around Regina’s waist, pulling the brunette flush against Emma’s body.

 

Regina led Rocinante on a slow trot, resting her head back on Emma’s shoulder as she closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of the sun, the slight breeze on her skin and the soft lull of Rocinante’s movements. Emma watched Regina’s expression, letting her body relax as she nestled her nose against Regina’s neck, breathing in her scent of perfume and apples before planting a soft kiss.

 

Regina looked smaller, paler. The dark circles of her eyes seemed darker, the scar above the right of her lip deeper. Her hands were slowly losing their grip on the reins, Emma reached over and took over, leading the chocolate horse to stroll in the shade of the blooming cherry blossoms.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma drives them back home from the Horse Rescue. She has her blonde hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, sunglasses on her face. Regina was lying back into her chair, sitting in the silence of the car.

 

“They’re going to build a tunnel under the English channel.” Emma spoke, trying to fill the silence. “They’re calling it the Chunnel.”

 

Regina hummed softly, turning to face the window.

 

“You hungry?”

 

“No.”

 

“Anything you want.”

 

“Nothing.”

 

Emma reached back to the cooler in the backseat, rummaging with one hand. “Slim Jim? Yogurt? Apple? You like apples.”

 

“I used to like apples.”

 

Emma sighed, pulling out a red heart-shaped box filled with chocolates from the cooler and placing it on her lap. She grinned apologetically, glancing at her. “Not very original. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

 

Regina looks down at the box, her stomach turning, tears springing in her eyes. “I feel terrible. I didn’t even think about it.”

 

Emma took a chocolate from the box, popping it into her mouth, chewing with a grin. “There, you gave me a chocolate.”

 

When Emma stopped at a red light, Regina leaned over, kissing Emma gratefully, her hand caressing her cheek. Emma smiled as they parted, kissing Regina’s nose before turning her attention back on the road.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma and Regina were stargazing, sitting down on a blanket. Regina was on Emma’s lap, playing with Emma’s hand as the blonde, took a drink of coffee. Emma planted a soft kiss on Regina’s temple, smiling at the slight smile that appeared on her lips.

 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Emma asked her, looking up at the sky.

 

“I want you to take me home.” Regina’s tone was serious, upset.

 

“Now? We just-”

 

“I don’t want to come here anymore.”

 

Emma complied, helping Regina dismantle her telescope and pack up their things. She led Regina back to the fence, shrugging on her backpack. Regina looked up at the high fence and already she felt her legs start to give out underneath her. The brunette sighed, digging into her pocket and pulling out a small silver key. She unlocked the gate, swinging it out. Emma looked at her, her mouth open in astonishment.

 

“You have a key?”

 

“Yeah, I just never needed it.” Regina walked to the car, letting Emma follow her in silence. When she got to the door, she spoke up in a whisper, “Will you talk to my mother?”

 

“I’ve talked to your mother.”

 

“That’s what I mean.”

 

Regina met her eyes, her look serious and cold.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Cora was sitting in her big home office chair, centered in the room. Emma hovered over the entrance, gathering her nerve as she stared at the intimidating regal woman. Emma took in a deep breath, knocking gently on the doorframe, to which the older brunette pointedly ignored.

 

Emma smiled, clearing her throat, “You know. I might prefer being ignored to being scrutinized.”

 

Cora raised her head, taking in the blonde at the door with a raised brow and a scowl.

 

“I’ll be honest,” Emma continued, stepping into the room, “I don’t know if I can believe in a higher power and pray, but I can do anything at this point.”

 

Regina had come downstairs from her room, hovering outside of the door as she listened in to the conversation.

 

“Whatever you need. Whatever Regina needs. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I can drive her to school-”

 

“I’m not going back to school,” Regina interrupted, as Emma and Cora turned to watch her from the doorway. Emma was pale with big sorrowful eyes, while Cora had an indecipherable frown. “You can tell anyone you want. I don’t care anymore.”

 

Emma watched her go, turning her attention back to Cora with a worried frown. The blonde raced out of the office, after the young brunette, but was stopped by her bedroom door shutting with a thud.

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Monday morning came too soon for Emma, as she stood in front of Regina’s locker, clearing out her things as carefully as she could. If she wasn’t leaning against the metal frame, she would’ve collapsed with a yawn on the floor. Students pass by the blonde with the black leather jacket and continuously darkening circles under her eyes, speaking in hushed tones and sparing quick glances. Emma rolled her eyes and turned back to what she was doing, Ruby walked up cautiously to her friend, a worried frown on her face.

 

“Emma.” She whispered, placing a gentle hand on Emma’s arm, “Is what they’re saying about Regina true?”

 

Emma clenched her jaw, forcing the traitorous tears back as she looked at the person she considered a sister. She managed a small nod before the brunette almost tackled Emma in a hug, knocking the air out of her lungs.

 

“I’m so sorry.”

 

Emma smiled, hugging her tight before she let go, “So am I.”

 

“Emma.” Killian stood a couple steps away, looking at the blonde with the ghost of a concern crossing his features.

 

Emma spared him a glare as she slammed the locker door closed. “What?”

 

“I’m sorry. About Regina. What happened.”

 

Emma huffed, taking a step back. She watched his expression, knew that he was telling the truth, but at that point, she didn’t care. “Too late and not enough.”

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Emma sat in front of Principal Gold, her foot tapping out an irregular rhythm on the carpeted floor. Emma took a deep breath, crossing her arms in front of her impetuously. Principal Gold was watching her with a stoic mask on his face, his hands templed over a file of papers.

 

“Look,” She spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “I know it means not graduating, but I need to be excused from all school acti-”

 

“You’re excused,” Mr. Gold interrupted, smirking at Emma’s wide eyes and gaping mouth. “How is she?”

 

Emma swallowed thickly, her eyes drifting down to her lap.

 

“You will graduate, Ms. Swan. Even if I have to tutor you myself.”

  
  


xXxXxXx

 

Regina was lying in bed, Emma’s red jacket draped around her shoulders, as she tracked the blonde around her room, watching her flitter and place the books carefully on the shelf. Regina let out a small smile, looking down at her hand in her lap.

 

“Yesterday I felt sick. Horrible.” Regina spoke, her voice slightly horse. Emma had frozen in place at the sound of her voice, turning to face her with a soft encouraging smile. “Today I feel like riding my bike. Or dancing.”

 

Emma connected her phone to the speaker in Regina’s room, a waltz instantly cascading through the air. She turned towards Regina, smirking at her questioning gaze and how she bit her bottom lip to keep a smile from forming on her lips. She walked up to the bed, bowing deeply before extending her hand in a silent question.

 

“You know how to waltz?” Regina slipped her cold hand in Emma’s, smiling softly and the warmth and strength in them.

 

“Of course,” Emma helped Regina up, a hand on her waist to steady her as she pulled her forwards to the center of the room where there was space to dance. “I learned in Michigan when I was 12, there was this mandatory ball we all had to attend for school. They gave us all lessons. I might be a bit rusty.”

 

Regina slipped her arms around Emma’s neck, pulling her close for a tender kiss, “I’m sure you’ll be perfect. I’ll probably step on your feet though.”

 

Emma smirked, “The secret to a waltz is finding a good dancer.”

 

Emma placed her hand under Regina’s arm, pushing her slightly away to take her other hand in hers and leading the brunette slowly in triple time. After the first blunder where Regina confidently stomped on Emma’s toe, causing her to wince slightly, the brunette was able to relax and let the blonde lead her around the room. As the music swelled to a feverish pitch, so did the pace of the two girls, who’s laughter mingled with the woodwind.

  
  



End file.
